Love Is Fearless
by CaskettOlicityJeca
Summary: No matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after... I think love is FEARLESS. A series of Skyeward and FitzSimmons oneshots based on Taylor Swift songs. Chapter 9: Innocent - Skyeward.
1. Introduction

**_Many things can be taken from any one of Taylor Swift's songs, and they can all be interpreted in a variety of ways. So, what if we interpreted them in the Skyeward and FitzSimmons way?_**

**_This is going to be a series of Skyeward and FitzSimmons (and occasionally Skimmons and Skitz friendship) oneshots, inspired by songs from each of Miss Swift's four albums._**

* * *

To me, FEARLESS is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, FEARLESS is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. FEARLESSis falling madly in love again, even though you've been hurt before. FEARLESS is walking into your freshman year of high school at fifteen. FEARLESS is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again… even though every time you've tried, you've lost. It's FEARLESS to have faith that someday things will change. FEARLESS is having he courage to say goodbye to someone who only hurts you, even if you can't breathe without them. I think it's FEARLESS to fall for your best friend, even though he's in love with someone else. And when someone apologizes to you enough times for things they'll never stop doing, I think it's FEARLESS to stop believing them. It's FEARLES to say "you're NOT sorry", and walk away. I think loving someone despite what people think is FEARLESS. I think allowing yourself to cry on the bathroom floor is FEARLESS. Letting go is FEARLESS. Then, moving on and being alright… That's FEARLESS too. But no matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories ad prince charmings and happily ever after. That's why I write these songs. Because I think love is FEARLESS.

* * *

**_"Speak now or forever hold your peace,"_**_ the words sad by preachers at the end of wedding ceremonies all over the world, right before the vows. It's a last chance for protest, a moment that makes everyone's heart race, and a moment I've always been strangely fascinated by. So many fantasize about bursting into a church, saying what they'd kept inside for years like in the movies. In real life, it rarely happens._

_Real life is a funny thing, you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I've begun to fear more than that is letting moment pass without saying anything._

_I think most of us fear reaching the end of our life, and looking back regretting the moments we didn't speak up. When we didn't say __**"I love you."**__ When we should've said __**"I'm sorry."**__ When we didn't stand up for ourselves or someone who needed help._

_These songs are made up of words I didn't say when the moment was right in front of me. These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person. To the __**beautiful boy**__ whose heart I broke in December. To my first love who I never thought would be my __**first heartbreak**__. To my band. To a mean man who I __**used to be afraid of**__. To someone who made my world __**very dark**__ for a while. To a girl who __**stole something**__ of mine. To __**someone I forgive**__ for what he said in front of the whole world._

_Words can break someone into a million pieces, but they can also put them back together. I hope you use yours for good, because the only words you'll regret more tan the ones left unsaid are the ones you use to intentionally hurt someone._

_What you say might be too much for some people. Maybe it will come out all wrong and you'll stutter and you'll walk away embarrassed, wincing as you play it all back in our head. But I think the words you stop yourself from saying are the ones that will haunt you the longest._

_So say it to them. Or say it to yourself in the mirror. Say t in a letter you'll never send or in a book millions might read someday. I think you deserve to look back on your life without a chorus of resounding voices saying __**"I could've, but it's too late now."**_

_There is a time for __**silence**__. There is a time for __**waiting your turn**__. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, __**you'll know it**__._

_I don't think you should wait. I think you should __**speak now**__._

* * *

**There's an old poem by Neruda that I've always been captivated by, and one of the lines in it has stuck with me ever since the first time I read it. It says ****_"love is so short, forgetting is so long."_**** It's a line I've related to in my saddest moments, when I needed to know someone else had felt that exact same way. And when we're trying to move, the moments we always go back to aren't the mundane ones. They are the moments you ****_saw sparks_**** that weren't really there, ****_felt stars aligning _****without having any proof, ****_saw your future_**** before it happened, and then ****_saw it slip away_**** without any warning. These are moments of newfound ****_hope_****, extreme ****_joy_****, intense ****_passion_****, ****_wishful thinking_****, and in some cases, the unthinkable ****_letdown_****. And in my mind, every one of these memories looks the same to me. I see all of these moments in bright, burning, ****_red_****.**

**My experiences in love have taught me difficult lessons, especially my experiences with crazy love. The red relationships. The ones that went from zero to a hundred miles per hour and then hit a wall and exploded. And it was ****_awful_****. And ****_ridiculous_****. And ****_desperate_****. And ****_thrilling_****. And when the dust settled, it was something ****_I'd never take back_****. Because there is something to be said for being young and needing someone so badly, you ****_jump in head first_**** without looking. And there's something to be ****_learned_**** from waiting all day for a train that's never coming. And there's something to be ****_proud_**** of about moving on and realising that real love shines golden like ****_starlight_****, and doesn't fade or ****_spontaneously combust_****. Maybe I'll write a whole album about that kind of love if I ever find it. But this album is about the other kinds of love that I've recently fallen in and out of. Love that was ****_treacherous_****, ****_sad, beautiful, and tragic_****. But most of all, this record is about love that was ****_red_****.**

* * *

_**Chapter One is already written, and will be up in a few hours. Chapter two is in the works.**_

_**If you have any Taylor Swift song requests with a couple or plotline, drop a review or PM me :)**_


	2. Fearless - Skyeward

**Okie dokie, here's the first actual chapter!**

**This is set in an AU world where Ward was never Hydra and SHIELD never fell. It's Skyeward's first undercover mission without the rest of the team.**

**_Disclaimer:_ I don't own _Agents Of SHIELD_ or the song _Fearless_ by Taylor Swift.**

* * *

**Fearless - Skyeward**

_"We're driving down the road  
I wonder if you know  
I'm trying so hard not to get caught up now_

_But you're just so cool  
Run your hands through your hair  
Absent-mindedly making me want you"_

* * *

Skye follows Ward out of the hotel and across the wet street to where Lola is parked, waiting for them.

"I love being outside after it's just rained," Skye muses as Ward opens the car door for her and she climbs in. "Everything just seems to glow; the people, the trees, the pavement."

Ward smiles at her. Trust his rookie to love the rain because it makes the pavement 'glow'.

Despite the fact that she knows they're going to a ball or this mission, Skye can't help but want to ask Grant to dance right there with her, in the middle of the street.

As they drive down the road, in no real rush to get to the ball, they talk, really talk for the first time since… Well, since they met, actually. Skye watches her SO as he tells a story about his almost-failed mission in Australia.

"And a baby kangaroo, of all things, was what nearly blew the entire op when it found the gun at my ankle." Ward laughs, running his fingers through his hair.

Skye grins, laughing along with him while internally scolding herself for getting caught up in his eyes and smile and beautiful, rare laugh.

Ward looks at her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, and she swear he knows exactly what he's doing to her, but at the same time he seems oblivious, absent-mindedly making her want him.

Skye smiles softly and says, "I don't know how it gets better than this."

"What?" Ward looks at her curiously, his interest piqued.

She shrugs her shoulders, "Us. I mean, yeah it took me getting shot and nearly dying, but we're actually talking, you know. Letting each other in properly."

Ward nods in understanding, "I know. I'm sorry it took you getting shot for me to open up to you."

"Doesn't matter. I just… I've always wanted to trust someone enough to just let them take my hand and drag me wherever the hell they wanted to go. I wanted to trust someone enough that I'd just five in headfirst with them. I wanted to find someone who made me fearless."

Ward looks at her, "And?"

Skye bites her lip, unsure of whether to say the next part. "And I think I've finally found him."

A smile slowly spreads across Ward's face at that revelation, and he reaches across to take her hands in his. "I hope you've found him."

Skye sighs in relief when he doesn't shut down and push her away. It almost seems as though, after Skye and Grant's little confessions, the specialist drives slower, also wanting to savour the moment and every second spent with his precious rookie.

"You know," Skye looks at him after a few minute's silence, "I sort of wish this car ride could go on forever. As soon as we get there, we'll be in mission mode, and then when we've finished the mission, it's back to the bus and back in the air and back to training and missions and no goddamn privacy. Maybe we should just keep on driving until we run out of road."

Ward looks over at her and smiles softly. "We just have to capture this moment, remember it."

Skye allows a large smile to creep across her features, and her whole face seems to light up.

* * *

Too soon for either of their liking, they arrive at the mission location: a big fancy hotel. Ward parks the car and climbs out of Lola, walking around and opening Skye's door, offering her his arm.

"I don't think I told you earlier," He mumbles in her ear as they walk into the hotel lobby and through to the ballroom, "But you look beautiful tonight. I mean, you look beautiful all the time, but tonight you look especially beautiful."

Skye feels her hands shaking slightly and her throat goes dry with nervousness. She can't even respond to Ward's compliment, so overtaken by nerves as she takes in the astounding ballroom and incredibly attractive couples.

"Ward, I'm gonna mess this up." She whispers. "I can't… I'll screw up the whole mission! As soon as I go anywhere near Ryans, he'll know something's up. How the hell am I supposed to get close enough to put the bug on him?"

"You're not usually this way, Skye," Ward says, pulling her closer against him. "What's got you so worried?"

Skye refuses to meet his eyes, instead looking down at her toes and the tiniest bit of silver high-heel shoes peeking out from the hem of her midnight blue gown.

"Hmmm?" Ward questions, reaching under her chin and lifting her face gently until her brown eyes meet his. "Skye, tell me what's wrong."

"I just don't want to disappoint you," She whispers, her eyes searching his desperately.

"How could you even-" He begins to question her, but she cuts him off.

"I mean, it's up to me to get the bug onto him, and what if I can't, or what if he works out what I'm doing and decides to ambush you when you go to talk to him? What i-"

Ward cuts off Skye's fears – which are becoming more and more irrational by the second – by pressing his lips to hers firmly, searingly.

Skye freezes in surprise for a moment, and Ward thinks that maybe he made a mistake by kissing her, but then her eyes fall shut and she leans up, deepening the kiss and crowding her body closer to his, as close as possible. It's probably not an appropriate display of affection, given their elite company, but she honestly couldn't care less about who the hell is watching them. As far as first kisses go, it's pretty damn good, flawless even.

Too soon for Skye's liking, Ward moves his lips out of range of hers, even as she wraps her arms around his neck to pull him back down to her.

"_Ward_," She whines as he refuses to allow her to kiss him again.

Grant just chuckles at the pout on her pretty little face, and presses his lips against her forehead. "You gonna go and be fearless for me?"

"Will you kiss me again if I do?" She wonders, tilting her head to the side in question.

"At the end," He allows.

"Now?" She asks innocently.

"You are insatiable," Ward mutters, but leans down and quickly kisses her again.

With that comment, Ward leaves his rookie and heads over to the bar to get them both a drink and to allow Skye to sidle up to George Ryans, bat her eyelashes, have a dance with him, and slip the tracking bug onto his jacket.

* * *

Three hours and one successfully completed undercover mission later, Ward and Skye leave the ball.

As they exit the hotel, they discover that it's raining. Actually, it's more than raining, they realise, as they hear the sound of thunder cracking in the distance.

"Wait here," Ward says to Skye as they stand together under the eaves, "I'll bring the car over."

"No, there is no way in hell I'm letting you get to run off in the rain and leave me here to stay dry."

"Skye, please just stay here." Ward says, staring her down.

She glares at him and huffs, "Fine."

"I'll be two minutes." He promises, before stepping out from under overhanging and walking down the steps to the footpath.

Skye watches him for a minute before quickly taking her shoes off, lifting her dress up off the ground slightly, and running after him.

"Bet you can't catch me!" She yells as she goes running past him, as blur of blue dress and dark hair.

It takes a moment for Ward to ealise that the stupid girl running through a storm in a beautiful ball gown is Skye. _"Of course it's Skye,"_ He thinks.

"SKYE!" He yells, running after her. "I thought I told you to stay on the steps!"

"And let you have all the fun?" She inquires, slowing her pace and turning to face him, walking backwards.

"Skye-"

"Come on, Grant, live a little! Let me be fearless! Or better yet, you come and be fearless with me!" Skye laughs as she takes off running again.

Grant begins running after her again, before finally calling out, "Fine, Skye! What do you want me to do?"

She grins and runs over to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to Lola. "Put some music on."

"Why?"

"Please just do it, Grant." Skye begs.

"Fine," He sighs, opening the door and turning the key in the ignition so the radio comes on.

A song that he doesn't know but Skye clearly does, judging by the way her face lights up when she recognises the lyrics, fills the stormy night as Grant turns the volume up.

"Now what?" Ward looks at her.

"Dance with me?" Skye asks, her brown doe eyes looking at him and he'll be damned but those eyes could convince him to do anything, but…

"Seriously? We're in the middle of the parking lot, it's bucketing rain, and you want to dance?"

Skye nods her head excitedly, "I've always wanted to dance in a storm with someone else! You know that saying, 'Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain'? Please, Grant," She begs.

"Fine," He relents, "But it's your fault if we end up with pneumonia or hypothermia, and you're going to have to explain to Simmons why we're both so sick."

"Okay!" Skye agrees, not even fearing the doctor's wrath which she will inevitably have to face.

Skye runs over to him and grabs his hand, pulling him away from Lola. She drops her shoes on the ground and winds her arms up over his shoulders, as his hands move to wrap securely around her waist. They dance in the storm, Skye in her best dress, for over half an hour, both oblivious to the world around them.

"Is this fearless enough for you?" Ward mumbles into her soaking wet hair.

"Mhmm," Skye hums in response. "You take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless.'

"Actually, I think it was you who drug me headfirst, this time." Ward chuckles.

Skye laughs sleepily in response, her eyes falling closed as her head rests against his chest, and mumbles, "Pretty sure I drag you headfirst most of the time," before her mouth stretches open in a yawn.

"Touché." Ward agrees, before saying, "Come on, let's get you to bed, Agent Skye." He bends down and reaches one arm behind her knees as the other supports her back, picking her up and carrying her to Lola.

"I'm a proper Southern girl, you'll make me untidy." Skye whispers as he places her down in the passenger seat.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." Ward says despite the smile pulling at his lips as he closes the door on her. He walks back over to where they where dancing behind Lola and picks up her discarded shoes, before going and climbing into the car's driver's seat.

"Grant?" Skye looks up at him sleepily from under her dripping locks.

"Mmm?" He responds as he drives out of the parking lot and in the direction of the hotel where they'll meet up with the rest of the team.

"Tonight was really something, wasn't it?"

He smiles at her, "It definitely was."

"I captured it."

"What?" He asks, confused.

"When we were in the car on the way to the ball, you said we'd just have to capture the moment, remember it." She explains, waiting until understanding dawns in his eyes before continuing. "Well, I captured the whole night."

"Me too, Skye. Me too." He says. "Now, get some sleep. I'll wake you up when we reach the rendezvous point."

"No you won't," Skye predicts. "You'll want to be my incredibly chivalrous and masculine knight in shining armour, and carry me."

Ward waits another five minutes until his rookie's breathing has evened out before he confesses, "You know me too well."

He doesn't see the small smile appear on Skye's face at his words, as she thinks to herself, _"Thank you for being fearless with me."_

* * *

Two days later, Skye and Ward are curled up together on the couch in the BUS, both wearing multiple sweaters, hoodies and jackets, blankets wrapped around and draped over them, as shivers run through their bodies.

"So, Skye," Simmons says in her disapproving doctor voice, "Was dancing in the rain really worth it?"

Skye looks up at Ward from where her head is resting on his chest, and answers, "Definitely."

* * *

**Tada! Next chapter is _You Belong With Me - FitzSimmons_.**


	3. You Belong With Me - FitzSimmons

**First off, I would like to thank my two lovely reviewers, katieraefw and weasleywarrior (and andy-ho13 who cheated and PMd me instead of actually reviewing the chapter). weasleywarrior, this chapter is for you and I hope it meets your expectations!**

** Okie dokie, so this is a FitzSimmons chapter! It's high school AU. Fitz and Simmons have been best friends since they were three years old, Fitz's Mum adopted Skye when Skye was five and Leo was six, and Grant and Skye met because they're both on the Track and Field team and have been dating for almost eight months.**

**_Disclaimer:_ I don't own _Agents of SHIELD_ or any of the characters, I just manipulate them to suit my desires. I also do not own _You Belong With Me_ by Taylor Swift.**

* * *

**You Belong With Me – FitzSimmons (high school AU)**

_Oh, I remember you driving to my house  
In the middle of the night.  
I'm the one who makes you laugh  
When you know you're 'bout to cry.  
I know your favorite songs,  
And you tell me about your dreams.  
Think I know where you belong,  
Think I know it's with me._

* * *

Jemma sighs and answers her ringing mobile when she sees who the caller is: Antoine.

_"Where are you?"_ Fitz can hear Antoine's voice even through the small device pressed to his best friend's ear.

"I'm at Leo's house," Jemma answers calmly. "I told you that we were going to work on our chemistry paired assignment tonight."

Fitz moves to the other side of his bedroom to give Jemma some privacy, and turns his focus to his pet goldfish, Nemo. He and Jemma had tossed around a few different name ideas – Mulan, Sulley, Sebastian, Lightning – all from animated Disney or Pixar movies.

"That's music, Antoine." Jemma says, drawing Fitz's ears back to their conversation.

Of course Mr Popular Football Captain doesn't like Fitz's taste in music. Just another thing to add to the already long list.

"I know you don't like this music, but Fitz does and I do, too." Jemma sighs, "Of course. Yes Antoine. I'll see you in the morning."

Jemma closes her eyes for a moment as she hangs up, exiting out of the call screen as she looks at her background, a photo of her and Antoine after his most recent football match. He's wearing his football team jacket proudly, one arm wrapped possessively around Jemma's waist and the other holding his football. She locks her phone, tossing it onto Fitz's bed before she joins him over at Nemo's bowl.

"I love that photo," Jemma whispers, running her fingers over the framed picture beside the fishbowl.

The photo shows her and Fitz sitting on the bleachers, laughing as Jemma shoves a handful of popcorn into Fitz's mouth. It was taken the same night as Jemma's phone background, but this photo is so much more… natural. Happier. Less forced. Granted, neither of the geniuses knew that Skye had taken the photo until the next day when they'd reached their lockers, right beside each other, and found a copy of the photo taped to their doors, with a message on the back that said 'Skye is FitzSimmons biggest shipper :p'.

"Me too," Fitz agrees, looking at the photo of Jemma wearing one of her delicate black and white blouses and skinny jeans, him wearing a pair of jeans and one of his 'more casual' shirts that his adopted sister, Skye had bought for him. "Me too."

Silently, he thinks to himself how much happier Jemma looks in the photo with him than the one of her with Antoine on her phone.

* * *

The pair finish the assignment earlier than expected, and after having dinner with Fitz's Mum, Andrea, and Skye, they excuse themselves from the house.

"We're just going to go for a walk to the park, Mum," Leo tells his mother as he gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"Can I come too, please?" Skye asks, looking hopefully between the duo. "I promise I won't be a pain. Grant's meeting me at the ice cream parlour just outside of the park, and I don't want to look like a loner walking there."

"Of course you can come with us," Jemma smiles at the younger, slightly taller girl.

"Thanks! You're the best, Jemm! Hey Mum, I'm going with Jemm and Leo!" Skye calls into the kitchen where Andrea is washing up. "Grant'll drive me home!"

"Okay, just remember it's only Tuesday night; you need to be back before ten!" Andrea responds, and then the trio walk out of the house.

"Jemma?" Skye asks after a few minutes as she looks down at her friend's old jeans.

"Hmm?" Jemma looks at Skye.

"Why do you always dress so nicely when you're with Antoine? I mean, I only where nice clothes when Grant and I are going out somewhere fancy or something, but you always seem to be wearing nice clothes with Antoine. When you're just with Leo and I, you wear your favourite worn out jeans."

"I just feel like I should at least try to look nice for him," Jemma tries to defend herself.

"Hey, I wasn't being rude or anything," Skye says quickly. "I just think, if you really love someone and if they really love you, you shouldn't always have to look nice for them. They should think you look beautiful in anything."

_"__Fifty points to Skye for telling Jemma that Mr Perfect Football Captain isn't the right guy for her,"_ Leo thinks to himself, smiling gratefully at his sister behind Jemma's back.

Skye covertly grins back at him, before farewelling the pair and running across the street to the ice cream parlour where her boyfriend, Grant, is waiting for her.

"She's such a character," Jemma laughs as she watches Skye literally jump into Grant's arms when she reaches him.

"That she is," Fitz agrees, smiling.

"Come along, Fitz. Let's go and sit down somewhere." Jemma says, taking his hand and leading him into the park.

When she finds a suitable bench, nestled amongst some trees, Jemma sits down, pulling Leo with her.

They talk for an hour, gushing about Doctor Who and Big Bang Theory and Orphan Black, laughing at each other's theories about what may happen in upcoming episodes.

"I really hope Cosima doesn't die," Jemma states. "She's my favourite."

"I agree," Fitz nods his head, "She reminds me of you quite a bit."

Simmons turns to him with a raised eyebrow, "I remind you of a lesbian?"

"No, that's not… No… I…" Fitz stutters, his cheeks flaming red.

Jemma begins giggling quietly, and soon enough she's laughing hysterically, clutching her stomach, "Oh, I'm sorry Fitz, I was joking!"

Fitz's cheeks burn brighter for a second, before he, too, is infected by her laughter. Fitz takes a picture in his mind of the bright smile on Jemma's face, the smile that lights up his heart, the smile that he believes could light up their whole town. He doesn't know when the next time he'll get to see that smile will be. He hasn't seen that smile in a while, not since Antoine claimed her as his own.

"Jemma!" A sadly familiar voice shouts, and Antoine comes over to them, a group of his fellow meat-headed football players standing about ten metres behind him. "I thought you and Weasley here were supposed to be studying."

"I don't even have red hair," Fitz mutters under his breath. "It's more a coppery colour."

Antoine gives the younger man a look which effectively makes him shut up. Fitz has never been good with confrontations, or standing up for himself. However, when it comes to standing up for Jemma or Skye… let's just say he's received a few black eyes since freshman year.

"Come on, Jemma, let's get out of here." Antoine says, walking over and pulling Jemma up, wrapping his arm around her slim waist.

"I'll see you later Fitz, yeah?" Jemma says apologetically to her friend.

"Yeah, see you later, Jems," Leo responds. "Call me later?"

"Fitz, I'm fine," Jemma says softly, able to read the worry in Fitz's voice, before she turns and lets Antoine lead her away.

"What're you doing Jemma?" Fitz whispers to himself when Jemma, Antoine, and the meatheads are out of earshot. "Why're you with him?"

* * *

After sitting on the bench by himself for another ten minutes or so, Fitz stands up and slowly begins walking back to his house. As he walks, he imagines the day when Jemma realises that he's been there for her the whole time, the man she deserves to be with has been by her side since they were three years old.

Suddenly, Fitz changes his course and walks to Simmons' house. He knows it's past the time of night when Mrs Simmons will open the front door while her husband is out, so he walks around to the backdoor and knocks on it. "Mrs Simmons! It's Leo!"

A few minutes later, Jemma's mother opens the back door, a screaming Maisy on her hip and Rhea standing behind her in tears. "I'm sorry Leo, dear. Come in."

Fitz walks in and immediately crouches down in front of Jemma's five year old cousin. "What's the matter, Rhee-rhee?"

The little girl's lip trembles as she sniffles, "I gotted in trouble for tippin water on Maisy and pinchin her. But she was mean to me first. She broked-ed my Jemmie doll."

"Well, how about you let me take a look at Jemmie? I'm sure I can fix her." Leo says, letting Rhea take his hand and lead him through to the loungeroom where the doll that Jemma had bought her is lying, it's body on one side of the room and it's head on the other.

"Can you fix her?" Rhea asks as Fitz picks up the two parts of the doll.

After examining it for a moment, Fitz looks down at the little girl, who looks quite a bit like Jemma considering they are only cousins. "Of course I can. She'll be good as new in no time!"

"Thank you Leeeeeeo!" Rhea crowed, wrapping her arms tightly around the young man's legs.

"Leo dear, I thought Jemma was spending the night with you doing your chemistry assignment?" Mrs Simmons says as she enters the room, Maisy now in dry clothes.

"Errr yeah, about that… We finished early so we went to the park for a while, but Antoine saw us and took her with him. That's what I was coming over for, actually, just so you knew where she was in case she wasn't back by curfew."

"Thank you, Leo," Mrs Simmons smiles at him. "What she'd do without you, I have no clue."

Leo smiles at her, before looking down at Rhea. "Do you want me to take her home and fix her tonight? I can give her to Jemma at school, or bring it over tomorrow afternoon for you."

Rhea nods her head, "Yes please."

"Alrighty then. I'll see you later, Rugrat." He crouches down and kisses her forehead. He walks over and kisses Maisy's cheek too, "Now, don't you go breaking any more of Rhee's toys, will you?"

Maisy shakes her head, "I be good, Lee-lee."

"That's my girl." He smiles, flicking the tip of the two year old's nose, before kissing Mrs Simmons' on the cheek. "Tell Robert I said hi."

"I will. And Leo," She calls out as he opens the back door to leave. He turns and looks at her, "Thank you."

"No problem, Mrs S." He responds, walking out and closing the door behind him.

* * *

It's a few hours later, when Fitz is sitting at his desk carefully reattaching the doll's head, that a car's headlights briefly shine through the study's closed curtains. He does think it's odd for a car to be driving down his street at near midnight, especially considering Grant brought Skye back on her curfew for once. Not that it's Grant's fault. Fitz is quite sure that his fellow senior would bring Skye home on time if she wasn't so bloody persuasive at getting her own way with those huge innocent brown eyes. He swears, she could make an angel commit murder if she asked nicely.

A soft knock on the front door breaks him out of his thoughts. It is so quiet that, were he not sitting in the study right beside the front door, he would not have heard it. Carefully, he peeks out of the curtains toward the front door, where he sees a familiar figure, arms wrapped around herself and long chestnut curls obstructing his ability to see her face. Immediately, he exits the study and swings open the front door, pulling Jemma inside and into a hug.

He doesn't know what happened, but judging by the fact that her cheeks are stained with mascara and she showed up at his door in the middle of the night without any warning, tells him that it can't be good.

"What happened, Jemm?" He whispers into her hair.

As he feels his best friend begin to shake in his arms, he hears soft footsteps coming down the stairs and turns his head slightly to see Skye. "Hey Fitzy, did you see those…oh…" She trails off when she recognises Jemma cocooned in her brother's arms. "She okay?" The sixteen year old mouths her question silently.

Fitz shakes his head and mouths back, "I don't think so."

Skye looks torn between wanting to help one of her closest friends, and knowing that she really should leave Fitz to take care of Jemma.

"Go back to bed, Skye," He whispers.

Skye nods, turning and walking back up the stairs to her bedroom.

"I'm sorry, Leo," Jemma sniffles, and shit it must be bad for her to use his first name. She hasn't called him by his first name since they were ten, unless she really wants his attention or something bad has happened.

"What are you sorry for, Jemma?" He wonders, truly curious.

"I shouldn't have come announced, especially at this time of night. I just… I didn't want to go home, and I didn't know where else to go."

"Hey, shhh, shhh," Fitz pulls her back against his chest in an attempt to comfort her. "You know you can come over any time, day or night, if you need me. I'll always be here for you, Jemms."

Jemma nods against his chest, her fists bunching up the material of his shirt. "I know. You're always here for me. Always have been."

"And always will be." Fitz promises, gently leading her up the staircase. "Come on."

They go into his bedroom and he closes the door silently behind them, directing her to sit on his bed before he wraps some of his blankets around her shoulders, sitting down beside her.

"What happened?"

"Antoine, he… He wanted me to sleep with him, and I said no. He got so mad. I thought he was going to hit me. And then he… He said it was because of you. He said the only reason I wouldn't sleep with him is because I love you more than I love him. And then he said that we were done, that he didn't want to be with someone who didn't really want to be with him."

"That's bloody rich!" Fitz exclaims angrily.

"Whatever do you mean?" Simmons looks at him with watery eyes.

"Well, he wasn't treating you how you deserve to be treated. You deserve someone who respects you, who knows you, who can make you laugh when you're about to cry, who knows your favourite songs, who you tell about your dreams. You deserve someone who really loves you."

"But Fitz…" She looks at him with something in her eyes that he's never seen before. "That's you. You respect me, you know me, you always make me laugh, you know all of my favourite songs off by heart, and I tell you about my dreams all the time."

He nods, averting his eyes from her.

"And you love me." She finishes, watching him carefully.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he nods his confirmation.

"Oh Fitz," She shakes her head, "How could we both have been so utterly stupid?"

"What do you mean?" Fitz looks at her in confusion.

"What Antoine said to me earlier was true. When he said that I didn't want to sleep with him because… because… because I love you." She whispers.

"You do?" Fitz's eyes widen in surprise.

Jemma nods her head in confirmation. "Of course I do, silly. I just didn't think you felt the same way about me. That's why I started dating Antoine, to try and move on from you."

"You guys are so stupid." Skye's voice pipes up, and they both snap their heads up to look over at the door, which is open just a crack with one of Skye's eyes visible. "I called this all along. I said that I was FitzSimmons' biggest shipper, and you both just thought I was a stupid hormonal teenager. But, I called it. I was right all along. And Grant owes me twenty dollars because Leo said it first, in his incredibly roundabout way."

"You… you two were betting on us?" Jemma asks.

Skye nods her head, opening the door and stepping into the room. "Yep. But it wasn't just Grant and I. Like, half of the senior students are in on it. I am gonna be so goddamn rich by the end of the week!"

With that, the young girl turns to leave the room, but not before singing:

"Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you? Been here all along, so why can't you seeeeee you belong with meeee? Standing by and waiting at your backdoor, all this time how could you not know babyyyy? You belong with me, you belong with me. You belong with me! Have you ever thought just maybeeee you belong with meeee? You belong with me."

* * *

**Lol, what'd you think? Did you like Skye being the meddling little sister, because I sure did :p**

**Okay, just as a bit of clarification regarding everyone's ages in that chapter: Fitz and Simmons are both seniors, but they're a year younger than everyone else because they got put up a year level because they're geniuses, Antoine is a senior, Grant is a senior, and Skye is a sophomore.**

**I have two more definite chapters in the works, and I'm still taking song and couple / plot requests!**

**Up next: _Today Was A Fairytale - FitzSimmons and Skyeward_!**


	4. Today Was A Fairytale - multi-couples

**Okie dokie my lovelies... thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favourites I received after the last chapter!**

**This chater is for andy-ho13 who actually reviewed the last chapter instead of just PMing me.**

**Oh, a little bit of background... this story is set in the same universe as Fearless (you know the one where Ward was never Hydra and SHIELD never fell), and is set about six months after Fearless. Hmmmm... oh yeah, FitzSimmons have only been together for a few days, and it's their first date, and it's a double date because Skye and Ward were going out anyway, and the girls just decided to all go somewhere together.**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own _Agents of SHIELD _or _Today Was A Fairytale_ by Taylor Swift.**

* * *

**Today Was A Fairytale – Skyeward and FitzSimmons w. Philinda**

_Time slows down  
Whenever you're around  
I can feel my heart  
It's beating in my chest  
Did you feel it?_

* * *

Fitz knocks on the door of Jemma's hotel room at exactly six o'clock.

"Just a minute!" The woman's familiar British accent drifts through the door to him.

Moments later, Simmons opens the door.

Fitz's mouth drops open when he sees the gorgeous green and black dress she's wearing – no doubt borrowed from Skye. Either that or the two girls went shopping earlier in the day.

"You look beautiful, Jemma," Fitz says sincerely, and suddenly she feels like an absolute princess.

"You look quite dashing yourself, Fitz," Simmons responds, smiling at him.

Fitz blushes at the compliment, before offering her his arm, "Are you right to go?"

Jemma nods her head, "Of course, just let me grab my purse."

"Why would you need your purse?" Fitz wonders as he follows her back into the room, "You're not paying for anything."

"Fitz," Jemma sighs, always the independent woman.

"No." The Scotsman says firmly. "You will not be paying tonight and that is final."

"Fine," Jemma sighs, but keeps a hold of her purse anyway.

"Don't you try anything clever, Simmons," He warns her, still eying the purse in her hands.

Jemma laughs and allows him to take her hand, "And people say chivalry is dead."

"I say it's only dead if you let it be." Fitz responds, closing the door of her room behind them.

* * *

"Come on Skye, are you ready yet?" Ward calls for the fifth time in less than ten minutes through the closed door of the bedroom.

He has no clue how, but Skye somehow managed to convince Coulson to let them share a hotel room. He guesses, though, that she could convince Coulson to do anything she wished, she has him wrapped around her little finger so.

"Geeze, Ward!" She yells back at him, but the door remains closed. "There is this thing called patience, you know! And would you believe, it's actually a virtue."

Ward rolls his eyes at his exasperating rookie and girlfriend.

"Clearly, you do not possess that particular saintly quality," Skye grumbles as she yanks the bedroom door open, slightly more aggressively than necessary.

Grant's mouth falls open as his eyes roam over an extremely annoyed Skye. "You look gorgeous."

"Seriously?" Skye looks at him incredulously. "I look like a freaking mess, because you won't leave me alone for twenty minutes to get ready!"

Ward looks at her for a minute, taking in her hair – half of which is curled perfectly, the other half still a relatively uncontrolled mess – her half completed makeup, the dress which is sitting on her hips, revealing the scars on her stomach, and the streak of eyeliner running from the corner of her right eye and up towards her hairline (courtesy of one of his louder than necessary knocks, which he conveniently did while she was attempting to finish her eye makeup). "Skye, you could have been shipwrecked on an island for a year and wearing a paper bag and I'd still think you were the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

She tilts her head as she looks at him, but he doesn't miss the way the corners of her mouth tilt upwards. "Whoever would have thought that Agent Grant Ward, who got a porcupine for people skills, would be the biggest flatterer in the world?" She smirks at him.

"Not you, clearly," He answers, grinning as he steps forward and crowds her personal space. "Is my flattery working?"

"Oh, no you don't." Skye says, pushing firmly on his chest and quickly reclosing the bedroom door in his face. "Now shut up and give me five goddamn minutes of peace and quiet, and then we can go!"

* * *

Ward and Skye arrive at the restaurant ten minutes later than they had organised with FitzSimmons, thanks to Ward being "an impatient ass" as Skye so eloquently puts it when explaining to the scientists why they are late.

Simmons laughs as she looks at the brown-eyed couple. "Like Yin and Yang."

"Huh?" Skye wonders.

"You two," Jemma explains. "You're like Yin and Yang. Polar opposites, but you need each other to actually work properly. You complete each other, fill in each other's holes."

"Like pieces solving a puzzle," Skye adds, smiling up at Grant as he leans down to press a kiss to her hair.

"So, what're we?" Fitz wonders.

"You're two sides of the same coin." Skye informs him.

"Really?" Fitz asks.

Skye nods her head, "Of course you are! You are absolutely inseparable, and it's just plain weird to see one of you without the other."

The waitress comes over to take their orders, promising their meals will be out shortly.

Skye, for once, takes a backseat in the conversation the group is having, too busy watching Ward interact with FitzSimmons, listening to what he says to them, seeing how he smiles at them, almost like a proud big brother. She can't help but notice how every move he makes, everything he says is right.

Ward catches Skye watching him and smiles that bright, brilliant smile that used to be so rare but is now a regular occurrence around her. As soon as he smiles at her, Skye feels like he's taken her to another planet. Asgard, maybe. She thinks he could definitely fit in with Thor and Sif. He certainly has the whole sharp cheekbone, dreamy-eye Godlike thing going on.

Simmons, sitting beside Fitz, realises that with the people around her – her team, her family – everything seems to be falling into place. Looking next to her at Fitz as he has an animated discussion with Ward, her whole life becomes clearer: who she is, where she wants to be in ten, twenty, fifty years time, and who she wants to be with for the rest of her life. Thinking back, she realises that nothing made sense until she met him. His almost-disastrous chemistry experiment on the first day was all it took to change their lives and bring two separate people together to form one entity: FitzSimmons.

Since that moment, the moment Fitz entered her life with a bang – quite literally – her life has been a fairytale. And yeah, she knows they've had some difficult times, and will probably have a few more, but just think about all of the struggles fairytale characters go through.

So, what's to say that Jemma and Skye can't be fairytale princesses with Fitz and Ward as their Prince Charmings or knights in shining armour?

Ward looks down at his watch and sees they've only been at the restaurant for half an hour, but it feels like so much longer. Skye seems to have this effect on him, one that makes time slow down to the point where he could swear time has stopped altogether. He realises then, that the reason time slows down when he's with Skye, is because time doesn't matter. Everything is her. The world, the time, nothing matters, nothing exists, except for the two of them. And occasionally FitzSimmons, too.

"Ward," Skye whispers to him when FitzSimmons get into one of their fancy science debates.

"Yeah?" He replies, just as quietly, looking down at her.

"You know how I act impulsively, and then freak out and run?"

He nods his head silently, terrified of where this conversation could be going.

"Well, I realised something today, when you were being an impatient ass and I opened the door to tell you to cut it out. I realised that I don't want to freak out and run away from you. I never have."

"Do you want to know what happened to me when I saw you standing there, half-dressed and so angry with me?"

Skye nods her head curiously.

"I fell in love."

Skye's eyes widen in surprise. Sure, she's told him that she loves him, but he hasn't. She knows about his past, about his parents and siblings, so she hasn't pushed the subject, hasn't let it upset her whenever she confesses her love for him and he doesn't return the sentiments.

"Really?" She whispers.

"Really," He whispers his confirmation, his eyes never leaving hers as he watches for her reaction.

* * *

After they've finished desert and the two men have split the tab and paid, both couples agree on taking a walk through the nearby park. As they walk, watching the sunset above them, Skye and Simmons hear the distant sound of music.

"What's that?" Simmons wonders.

"What's what?" Fitz wonders, unable to hear the soft melody.

"It's music." Skye says, trying to work out what sort of instrument it is and where it's coming from. "It sounds like a… I don't know. It's a string instrument, I can tell that much. It could be a cello?"

"Let's go and find where it's coming from!" Simmons says, grabbing Skye's hand and the two run in the direction of the music.

"I swear to god if Skye falls over in those heels and breaks an ankle, I am _not_ carrying her back to the hotel." Ward mutters, as he and Fitz follow the girls.

As they walk, the boys begin to hear the music, too. A soft, delicate strumming sound.

"Sounds like angel music," Fitz says.

They walk around a corner in the path and see a young woman, about 19 or 20, sitting on a small stool playing a harp. In front of the woman, Skye and Simmons are dancing together, holding hands as they move to the beautiful music.

"Fitz, come here!" Simmons exclaims when she sees the boys.

At her friend's remark, Skye turns to look at the boys, too. She releases Simmons' hand and holds it out to Ward, a soft smile on her lips. "Dance with me?"

Ward chuckles at her, "What is it with you and dancing in the weirdest locations?"

He does, however, move forward and take her hand, lifting her arms up to rest over his shoulders as he wraps his around her slim waist, his hands interlocking on the small of her back.

"I love you," Skye whispers to him as they dance.

"I love you too, Skye," Ward responds, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

FitzSimmons, dancing close by but far enough away so both couples can have some privacy, dance carefully, their bodies close but still with some distance between them. Their relationship is very new, far newer the Skye and Ward's. Besides, Skye and Ward have never had a problem with having no personal space around each other way back when they were just SO and Rookie, what with all of their physical training and sitting on the couch together, their sides pressed against each other, during movie nights. Fitz and Simmons, on the other hand, are still treading in new waters, and while they are quite comfortable to sit beside each other, or share hugs, neither of them have really been very sexual people.

Simmons feels her heat beating in her chest, far more prominent that it usually is, and she wonders if Fitz can feel it too.

"It feels like time runs differently when it's just us." Fitz says to her. "Like it slows down or something. I know that's impossible, but it's just how it seems."

"I know what you mean," Jemma agrees, cautiously taking a step closer to Fitz's body, and then she can feel the heat radiating from him, and just a few more centimetres and she could feel his heart, see if it's beating in time with hers, see if it's racing like hers.

And then he makes the next movement for her, thankfully, and closes the remaining distance between the bodies as he kisses her softly, ever so softly. And it's exactly how she imagined kissing Fitz would always be, but at the same time it's a million times better. And she can feel his heart beating against her chest, in time with her own, and she knows he can feel hers too, when he smiles into the kiss.

"How is it," Jemma whispers when they break apart, "That you manage to make me feel like a princess?"

Fitz just smiles at her, that perfect, slightly lopsided smile that she loves, and answers, "You _are_ a princess Jemma."

"And you, Fitz, are the most loyal just prince in the entire land," Jemma giggles.

* * *

"Skye," Ward says, bringing her out of her calm, relaxed daze.

"Mmm," She looks up at him, smiling softly.

"You know all I've ever wanted to do is protect you, and that's what I will continue to do for as long as you let me. I know we've only been together for a little over six months, but we've known each other for so much longer than that."

"Two years next Thursday," Skye smiles at him.

Ward smiles in response. "I never thought I would ever find someone I love as much as you, for two reasons: 1, with the line of work I'm in, I didn't think I'd ever be in one place long enough to find someone. 2, I don't let myself care about people or be open with them enough to fall in love. But then I got put on the team, and then we found you. And suddenly I was in a plane with people for a length amount of time, and there was someone there who kept poking and prying until I opened up to her. And the strangest part of all, was the fact that I never felt like she was violating my privacy, because I knew she just wanted to get to know me, and she wanted to help. So, I let her. Slowly, of course, because I was still scared to let someone in and risk them being taken away from me, but I did. I began to let her in, I began to trust her, I began to fall in love with her. So Skye," He says, kneeling down on one knee.

"Oh my god," Skye gasps, her hands flying to her mouth in surprise, as FitzSimmons run over to watch.

"We've known each other for nearly two years. I would love to spend the next two-hundred years with you, but that's highly unlikely, especially in our line of work…"

Skye laughs at that comment, and Grant smiles up at her.

"So, what do you say? Would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with your Robot? Skye, will you marry me?"

Skye gingerly lowers her left hand from where it is covering her mouth, and Ward gently takes it, slipping the ring onto it.

"Holy shit…" Skye mumbles, as she lifts her hand up to examine the ring. "That's an actual engagement ring. That's a real freaking ring!"

"Well yeah, did you expect me to get a plastic one out of a gumball machine?" Ward questions sarcastically.

"Oh, funny boy," Skye responds just as sarcastically.

"So… you haven't actually answered my question." Ward says nervously, still kneeling on the ground in front of Skye. "Would you like to marry me?"

A smile splits open across Skye's face and flings herself down at him, nearly toppling him over with the force of her small body. "Yes. Yes you silly, silly robot. I can't believe you thought you had to ask twice!"

"Well you never really answered me the first time. You couldn't seem to get over the fact that I bought a real ring instead of a plastic one."

Skye laughs and buries her face in his neck as she feels the tears fall down her cheeks. "I love you so, so much, Grant. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I know." He says. "And I love you too."

"Um, excuse me," Simmons says, breaking the moment. "I'll be the Maid of Honour, right?"

Skye laughs and looks up at her best friend, "Yes Simmons, you'll be the Maid of Honour. And I'm going to throw my bouquet at your face."

Simmons laughs at Skye's comment, but the thing is, all four of them know that Skye is being dead serious. She will throw her bouquet at Jemma's face, if that's what it takes for the doctor to catch it.

"Am I going to be Best Man?" Fitz wonders.

"Yeah," Ward says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "We can't have Simmons as Maid of Honour and _not_ have you as Best Man."

"Oh my goodness, this is so exciting!" Simmons squeals, pulling Skye up and the girls hug each other tightly, jumping up and down in excitement.

"If you didn't know any better, you'd think Simmons was the one getting married," Fitz muses, as he tilts his head and watches the two women.

"You best just hope they don't try to organise a double wedding, or a double pregnancy, like they organise double dates." Ward deadpans.

Fitz's face pales at the prospect which doesn't really seem out of the realm of possibility for Skye and Simmons. But then again, nothing is out of the realm of possibility for those two.

* * *

Coulson and May are sitting on the balcony of Phil's hotel room, looking out over the landscape, when the four younger agents make their way back.

"They're good for each other, the four of them," May notes as the 'parents' watch Skye and Simmons have an overly animated conversation with each other, Ward's arm securely around Skye's waist, and Fitz holding Jemma's hand, their arms swinging between them.

"That they are," Coulson agrees.

"What do you think they're talking about?" May wonders as Jemma and Skye burst into loud, happy laughter, and Ward chuckles slightly, while a blush that can be seen from their point three stories up spreads across Fitz's cheeks.

"With them, it could be anything. I just feel sorry for Fitz. It seems to be his moment in the spotlight."

"At least it isn't us." May mumbles.

At that moment, Skye catches sight of the two older agents sitting on the balcony, and grins at them, waving excitedly.

"Hey, AC, May! Guess what! We're getting married!" She yells up to them, waving her left hand around uncontrollably and almost hitting Ward in the face.

Soft smiles spread across the faces of May and Coulson as they look down at the two couples.

"And, I'm planning on throwing my bouquet at Jemma's face so she catches it!" Skye adds, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

May actually laughs at that comment, infected by the pure joy radiating from Skye.

"Hey AC?" Skye asks up the older man.

"Yes, Skye?" He wonders.

"Will you give me away?"

Coulson's eyes widen in surprise at the request, and he feels tears forming in his eyes which he will later deny if anyone asks him. "Are you sure?"

Skye nods her head. "Yep. You're the closest thing to a real dad I've ever had, and honestly, I couldn't have imagined a better father for myself. You can be something too, May. I'm not sure what, but we'll figure something out. Does the mother of the bride do anything?" Skye seriously ponders her question.

Ward laughs, shaking his head at the woman by his side, "Come on Skye, I think you've had too much wine to be outside."

"You gonna take me inside to really celebrate our engagement, stud?" Skye purrs, looking up at him.

FitzSimmons stare at her incredulously, their mouths hanging open, May physically has to bite he inside of her cheek to stop from laughing, and Coulson… well, Coulson…

"As father of the bride, that was _way_ too much information."

Skye just grins up at Coulson, before stating, "Today was a fairytale, and I'm going to have a fairytale wedding. Good night all, Sleeping Beauty needs her beauty sleep!"

* * *

**Okay, so that ending went a little bit haywire. There was not supposed to be a proposal, but then it popped into my head and I thought "why the hell not?" And then it was going to end with Ward saying to Fitz about double weddings and pregnancies, and then May and Coulson decided they wanted to make an appearance. And then it was just going to be Skye shouting up to them that she and Ward were getting married, but then Skye decided to ask Coulson to walk her down the aisle, and then suddenly she was slightly drunk and trying to seduce Ward and yeah...**

**Anyway, next chapter: _Sparks Fly - Skyeward_**


	5. Sparks Fly - Skyeward

**This chapter is for MusicAngel98 and erinkate12, who both requested a Skyeward Sparks Fly.**

**_Disclaimer: _I don't own _Agents of SHIELD_ or _Sparks Fly_ by Miss Swift.**

* * *

**Sparks Fly (Skyeward)**

_I'll run my fingers through your hair  
And watch the lights go wild  
Just keep on keeping your eyes on me  
It's just wrong enough to make it feel right  
And lead me up the staircase  
Won't you whisper soft and slow  
I'm captivated by you baby  
Like a fireworks show_

_Drop everything now  
Meet me in the pouring rain  
Kiss me on the sidewalk  
Take away the pain_

* * *

Skye sits in the back of the SUV with FitzSimmons, watching the image of Ward on her laptop screen as he takes out anyone who gets in his way.

It's not hard to tell that he held the Berserker Staff a fair bit when he was with Garrett. She knows she shouldn't trust him, knows it's reckless for her to still care for him, knows she should run away, as fast as she can. But she also knows that she won't get far. He's a magnet, constantly pulling her back in.

Besides, he's back on the team.

After Coulson made him go through an extremely lengthy and heavy pysch evaluation, the senior agent allowed Ward back on the BUS and the team, _under conditions_. First and foremost, Grant was not to be anywhere near Skye unless a mission specifically called for it. Not that Skye knows about that particular rule Coulson had given him.

But she still trusts him, still loves him.

Suddenly the back door of the SUV is flung open and Ward jumps inside, slamming the door closed behind him.

"We need to get out of here." He states.

"Why?" Skye wonders, even as Fitz moves to the driver's seat and brings the car to life.

Ward stares at her for a moment. "It's gonna blow."

"Oh…" Skye whispers.

"Here," Ward grunts, handing the weapon he was sent in to retrieve to Simmons.

That's when Skye notices the blood on his left shoulder. "You got shot," She says, moving nearer and reaching out a hand to touch his arm, but he roughly jerks away from her.

"I'm fine." He snaps.

Skye nods her head and turns away from him at her tone, joining Fitz up the front of the SUV.

Not for the first time, she wishes he'd stop pushing her away. He wishes he'd just drop all of his walls and let her in like he used to. She wishes he'd go against the warning he received from Coulson or May or FitzSimmons to stay away from her. She's dreamt so many times, both before and since the whole Hydra fiasco, of him meeting her somewhere in the pouring rain, kissing her on the sidewalk outside a coffee shop or a park, even the tarmac outside BUS once or twice. She prays that he'd take away her pain, that he'd let her take away his.

But, that's not Grant Ward. That's not what the Agent Ward who used to be on the team would have done, that's not what Hydra Ward would have done, and that's definitely not what the current Grant Ward would do. While there are many differences between the three different versions of Ward that the team has been subjected to, they all share one quality: not wanting to take help from anyone.

Ever since Skye realised he was a Hydra sleeper, she's been haunted by the moments they had shared: the games of Battleship, the training, the laughter, movie nights, smiles, trust, the feeling of belonging, and their kisses. She remembers, after every single interaction they had, wanting more, more, _more_, but already being scared by their relationship. She had never in her life trusted anyone as much as she trusted the team, and there was no one on the team she trusted more than him. So when she realised he was traitor, not only did it break her, but it changed her; it haunted her.

* * *

Later that night, well after everyone else is in bed, Skye is alone in the cargo bay, pounding her fists into the punching bag over and over again.

And then, she hears his voice. She didn't even know he was there, so intent on beating the shit out of the bag so she could just _forget_ for a little while.

"You need to wrap your hands, Skye."

"I'm fine," She responds, her punches not even slowing for a fraction of a second.

"Skye," He says warningly, and there it is. The Grant Ward she used to know. The one who wanted to make her the best agent she could be. The one who begrudgingly took her under his wing, and then not-so-begrudgingly got to know her.

Then he's standing beside her, gently taking her hands and moving her so she is no longer facing the punching bag. And dammit, but that touch is all it takes for her anger to disappear and her want to come rushing back. And she knows it's a bad idea, oh is it a bad idea, but she leans up and presses her lips to his forcefully, hungrily, finally taking what she wants.

He kisses her back equally as passionately for a few minutes, before Coulson's voice echoes through his head, _"She was completely shattered after you left, Ward. I don't think she'll be able to cope if you hurt her again. So just do everyone a favour and stay away from her."_

"Skye," He pulls away from her, and one look at her darkened eyes nearly makes him cave to both of their desires, but he can't. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" She whispers.

"I'll hurt you again, Skye. I can't hurt you again." He whispers.

She lets out a short bark of laughter, "And what the hell do you think you've been doing avoiding me like I'm the plague or something?! Two months, Ward, two months, and the only time you've spoken to me is for mission! You… you haven't even been able to look at me. You don't think that hurt? Because it did. It hurt like a fucking bitch." Her voice is a quiet whisper by the end.

"Skye…" He whispers.

"Please Grant," She looks up at him and swallows nervously, "Please don't leave me. I have never trusted anyone as much as I trust you. I'm on my guard for the rest of the world, but with you I know it's no good. I could wait patiently, but I really wish you'd just drop everything now and kiss me."

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"This is my sure face." Skye says, gesturing to her face.

Ward grins and chuckles at her as he moves closer. "Coulson'll murder us both when he finds out."

"Coulson'll get over it." She says, running her fingers through his hair and watching the lights in his eyes go wild.

"You say that now," He mumbles, crowding close to her body, running his finger down the side of her face, keeping his eyes locked on her. "He'll say it was wrong."

She shrugs, "If it's wrong, then it's wrong enough to make it feel right."

"What?" Ward laughs at her.

"I don't know," She admits, laughing too.

Ward leans down and presses his lips to hers, fire running through both of them, boiling in their veins. Both become lost in the kiss until Ward, again, pulls away.

"What-" Skye begins but he cuts her off as he takes her hand in his.

"Shhh. Just trust me."

She nods her head, and then he leads her up the staircase. Silently, they pass the bunks of a sleeping May, Simmons, and Fitz before they reach Skye's bunk. Ward pauses, looking back at her to make sure this is okay.

Skye nods her head, quietly sliding the door open and pushing Grant into the small room. She follows him in and closes the door behind them.

Ward kisses her again, far more gently this time, and tugs her down on the bed to sit beside him. "Can we just talk for a while?" He whispers to her. "We can do other… activities later."

Skye nods her head, leaning against his body as he wraps his arms around her, his hands interlocking on her stomach.

Ward, for once, is the one spilling all of his secrets, opening up and letting her in. He whispers his tales to her, soft and slow. He tells her all about his brothers and sister. He tells her about how he tried to kill his older brother by setting their house on fire with him inside. He tells her how Garrett came and found him while he was in Juvie, awaiting his trial. He tells her how, because Garrett not only took him away from his abusive family but also helped him escape from the charges he would have received for arson and attempted murder, he felt forever indebted to the man. He told her how he'd been questioning Hydra's methods for years, but he had no incentive to leave until he met her. He told her how she changed everything for him. He tells her how sorry he is for betraying the team and hurting her. He tells her how he snapped Garrett's neck when he found out that the older man wanted to torture her until she died. He told her he wouldn't take any part of his life back for the world, because every event he went through, no matter how hard, how painful, lead to him meeting her.

The whole time he's talking, Skye sits, encircled by his arms, her head tilted back onto his shoulder as she watches him. She can't tear her eyes or her focus away from him. She is captivated by him, like a fireworks show.

* * *

Early the next morning, after their 'other activities', Skye and Grant lay on her bed, tangled together, her head resting on his chest.

"I love you, Grant," Skye whispers, propping herself up on her elbow so she can look down at him.

Ward smiles at her brilliantly as he responds, "I love you too."

"You know," Skye muses, "I haven't seen your smile in so long. I kinda missed it."

"You missed my smile?" Ward asks teasingly.

"Yeah, I just… it's incredible. It reminds me of fireworks, or something. It's like, whenever you smile I can see sparks fly." Ward's smile stretches even wider in amusement. "Don't laugh, I'm serious! You need to smile more often."

"Just not around Coulson," Ward states, "Otherwise he'll kill me."

"WARD! SKYE! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON AND GET TO MY OFFICE _NOW_!" Coulson's voice shouts through the PA system.

The smile immediately falls off Ward's face. "Shit!"

"We are so dead." Skye mutters, scrambling up off Ward and quickly pulling her clothes on.

"I don't mind if you two are together," Coulson says, "So long as it doesn't interfere with work. And Ward, if you break her heart, I will break you. Just keep each other smiling, and everything will be fine."

"Yes sir," Ward mumbles, refusing to meet the senior agent's eye.

"Dismissed." Coulson says, and Skye quickly scurries to the door, Ward only to happy to quickly follow her.

"Oh, and Skye, Ward," Coulson calls after them.

Ward groans and Skye sighs, slowly trekking back to the office.

"Yeah AC?"

"Please remember that the bunks are not soundproof. I do not believe Fitz wishes a repeat performance of this morning."

Skye grins at him sheepishly, before exiting the office as quickly as she can and grabbing Ward's hand, pulling her after him.

When they reach the bottom of the stairs leading to Coulson's office, Skye collapses against Ward in fits of laughter. The sound is contagious, and soon enough Ward is laughing along with her.

Fitz walks past them on his way down to the lab and glares at them. "Have a bit of respect for your neighbours next time. I am going to need intense sessions with a psychologist to erase what I heard last night."

As Fitz stomps away from them, Skye's laughter becomes even more hysterical to the point where Ward is the only thing keeping her upright. "This is… This is gonna be… so much fun!" She manages to gasp out in between bouts of laughter.

And Skye might see sparks fly whenever Ward smiles, but when she laughs Ward could swear he hears angels.

* * *

**There we go, the first chapter where Ward was actually a Hydra agent at one point.  
**

**Up next: _Fifteen - Skimmons_**


	6. Fifteen - Skimmons

**Okay so, this chapter is for me because right from the beginning of this story, I knew I wanted to do _Fifteen_ with Skimmons!**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited so far; I love you all!**

**This chapter references quite a range of other Marvel characters, because I love it when other characters get mentioned briefly.**

**_Disclaimer_: I do not own _Agents of SHIELD_ or any Marvel characters mentioned in this chapter, nor do I own _Fifteen_ by Taylor Swift.**

* * *

**Fifteen – Skimmons (high school AU)**

_And when you're fifteen  
Don't forget to look before you fall_

_I found time can heal most anything  
And you just might find who you're supposed to be  
I didn't know who I was supposed to be_

_At fifteen_

* * *

Jemma pauses when she reaches the door of Anderson High School and takes a deep breath as she walks inside.

It's the start of a new school year and her very first day at high school.

She sees a few of her friends from middle school, Leo, Grant, Antoine, Bruce, Betty, Gwen, Sue, Darcy and Jane, and says hi to each of them, asking how they've been since they last time they saw each other. Aside from those few people that she already knows, for the most part Jemma tries to stay out of everybody's way. After all, she is going to be here for the next four years, she doesn't particularly want to make enemies with anyone on her first day.

As she walks down the corridor, looking for her locker, she secretly hopes one of the senior boys will notice her. In movies, senior boys always seem to wink at pretty freshman girls and say something cheesy like "I haven't seen you around before". But, Jemma doesn't really think she's very pretty, so sadly her cliché dreams of being noticed by a senior will stay as just that: a cliché dream.

In the end, Jemma counts to ten in her head and just decides to take it all in. After all, these are the years of a person's life before they know who they're going to be.

* * *

When she enters her first class, Jemma sees a girl sitting by herself over by the window, so makes her way towards her.

"Hi, is anybody sitting there?" Jemma asks.

The girl looks up at her and smiles, "No, it's free. You can sit there if you like."

Jemma smiles and sits down.

"I'm Skylar, by the way. Skylar Coulson. But you can just call me Skye." The girl introduces herself.

"Jemma, Jemma Simmons," she shakes Skye's hand.

By the end of the lesson, Skye and Jemma have formed an incredibly close bond with each other, and soon enough they're best friends. Over the next few weeks, they begin to make jokes about the popular kids, and laugh at the other girls who think they're so cool. Emma Frost, Amora Amata, Lorna Dane, Raven Darkholme, Tandy Bowen and Mary-Jane Watson have been Skye and Jemma's daily laughing subjects since day one, with their over the top makeup and perfect hair.

* * *

"Urgh, this class is just dragging on," Skye mutters, resting her head down on her desk.

"I know," Jemma agrees. "Don't worry, we'll be out of here as soon as we can."

Skye nods her head, "Can we just ditch this class next time?"

"Oh no!" Jemma exclaims quietly. "I will not be involved in any of your bad girl shenanigans!"

Skye laughs at Jemma's comment, "I'm glad you think so highly of me."

"Yes, well someone has to." Jemma grins back at her friend.

"Oh, is Little Miss Smarticles actually trying to make a joke?" Skye gasps in mock-surprise.

"I'll have you know, Skye, that I am a very comedic person."

"Yeah you are, when you talk like you're a part of the British royal family." Skye says in a British accent.

"Oh, that is a terrible accent," Jemma says, actually looking pained by Skye's attempt. "Absolutely atrocious. Promise me you'll never attempt to speak with a British accent again."

Skye just chuckles and allows her head to fall forward, back onto her desk.

* * *

A few months later, Skye has her first date. With a senior boy. Some rich kid called Tony. He seems nice enough, Jemma decides. Quite a lot like Skye, actually. Loves technology and having fun, isn't afraid to break the rules, and a surprisingly dependable friend.

"I'll call you when I get home, okay?" Skye says to Jemma over the phone.

_"__Of course."_ Jemma agrees. _"You'll be careful, won't you?"_

"We're just going to the moves, Jemm," Skye laughs.

A car horn sounds from outside Skye's house and the young girl quickly moves to look out her window. "Oh my god, you should see his car!"

Jemma chuckles at the excitement in her best friend's voice. _"Have fun, Skye. Talk later. Love you."_

"Love you too!" Skye responds and hangs up the call.

Skye takes one last look in the mirror and then bounds down the stairs to see Tony standing just inside the front door talking to her parents.

"Hi Tony!" Skye exclaims as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey gorgeous," Tony replies, grinning at her. "You ready to go?"

"Yep," Skye replies, walking over and taking his hand.

Tony takes Skye to see the newest Hunger Games movie, because he's heard from a few people that she loves the series. After the movie has finished, they go to Rollercoaster, a nearby club for high school students only. They need to show their student ID cards to be able to enter the club, and they spend hours dancing around the room.

* * *

Jemma calls the Coulson household at about 11 o'clock that night, thinking Skye would probably be home by then, but her mother answers.

_"Hello?"_ Melinda answers the phone.

"Oh, hi Mel!" Jemma says, immediately recognising the voice as Skye's Mum. "Is Skye home yet?"

_"No, she's not. I'm waiting up for her."_

"Oh, okay then. Well, can you please remind her to call me when she gets home?"

_"Of_ _course, Jemma. I'll make sure she does."_

"Thank you!" Jemma exclaims and hangs up the phone.

Melinda goes and sits down on the couch with a book to keep her occupied until Skye gets home. Phil went to bed about half hour ago because he has to get up early in the morning to go to work.

A bit over an hour later, Skye arrives home, bounding inside, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek and saying, "You didn't have to wait up."

"I wanted to see how your first date was," Melinda answers simply.

"It was perfect!" Skye gushes, "I'll tell you all about it in the morning! I have to call Jemm!"

And with that Skye runs out of the room, grabbing the home phone and making her way up the stairs as quickly as possible. As she enters her bedroom, she dials her friend, the numbers memorised, and listens to it ring a few times before Jemma answers.

_"Hi! Oh my goodness, how was it? You must tell me everything!"_

"Everything?" Skye asks, a teasing tone in her voice.

_"Everything,"_ Jemma confirms.

"Okay well, he took me to see Catching Fire and it was incredible! I mean, it wasn't as good as the book, but for a movie adaption it wasn't too shabby. Then we went to Rollercoaster and we had some food and danced for hours and he kissed me! Man, my head was spinning around."

Jemma smiles at Skye's excitement, happy that her friend is happy.

If only Skye knew then that in her life she'd do things greater than dating the rich boy on the football team. But how can she be expected to know that at fifteen?

* * *

A few days after Christmas, Jemma is sitting in her bedroom reading a book she received for Christmas, when her mobile begins ringing. She picks it up and checks the caller ID: Skysies.

Jemma grins and answers the call, "Can you not survive for one day without talking to me? I mean, I know no one else can retain an ounce of their sanity while in your presence, but this level of attachment you have for me is getting ridiculous. Would you like me to book you in to see a psychologist?"

Jemma hears a soft sniffle come from the other end of the call and Skye whisper, "_Can you please come over?"_

"Of course. What happened?" Jemma asks as she runs out of her bedroom and into the kitchen where her mother is making cookies. "Mum! Can you please take me over to Skye's house? Right now!"

Mrs Simmons looks up from the cookie dough upon hearing the urgency in her eldest child's voice. One look at Jemma's face is all she needs to leave the dough where it is in the bowl and grab the car keys.

"Skye, what happened?" Jemma asks her friend gently as she climbs into the car.

_"To-tony."_ Skye whispers.

Jemma's grasp on her mobile tightens until she's worried she may crush it. "I'll kill him..."

_"How far away are you?"_

Jemma looks at the clock, "four minutes. Just stay on the phone with me, okay?"

_"Okay."_

"Are your parents home?"

_"No,"_ Jemma can imagine Skye shaking her head. _"Dad got called in to work, and Mum's grocery shopping."_

"Okay, I'm nearly there. I have my key, so I can let myself in."

_"Okay."_

Mrs Simmons pulls into the driveway of Skye's house and Jemma is nearly out of the car before it's even stopped moving. "I'm here Skye, I'll be up in a minute." She runs to the front door, pulling out her keyring and selecting the right key. As she opens the door, she turns around and tells to get mum, "Can you please get a tub of chocolate peppermint swirl ice cream and bring it over?!"

Mrs Simmons nods and reverses out of the driveway.

Jemma closes the door and runs up the stairs to Skye's room as quickly as possible. She reaches the closed door and knocks on it quietly, "Skye sweetheart, can I come in?"

Jemma hears a deep, shuddering breath come from inside and then Skye mutter some form of confirmation.

Jemma carefully opens the door, but after taking one look at Skye, sitting on her bed, back against the wall and knees pulled up to her chest as tears roll down her cheeks, Jemma is across the room and pulling her best friend into her arms, as a sob escapes her throat.

After five minutes of desperate crying, clutching at Jemma as though she's a lifeline, Skye slowly begins to calm down to the point that she can breathe relatively normally again.

"What did Tony do?" Jemma asks.

"He..." Skye sniffles and wipes her eyes, "He called me. Said that he didn't think we were going to work and he was still in love with Pepper. He broke up with me, Jemm. The phone call wasn't even a minute long."

"But... Didn't you guys, you know... Have sex?"

Skye nods her head. "And that was the last time I saw him. That night."

"Oh Skye," Jemma whispers, pulling Skye into a hug, as they both cry. "He never deserved you anyway." Jemma says as she runs her fingers through Skye's hair. "I hope he knows he is going to die an untimely death at the hands of yours truly."

Skye lets out a watery laugh and hugs Jemma closer. "Thanks Jemm," she whispers. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Jemma replies. After a minute, she says, "Do you parents know?"

Skye lets out a short bark of laughter, "No. My Dad is a private detective and my Mum is a master of Hate-Fu. And they both used to work for some secret kickass government agency, better than the CIA. If they found out, he would actually be dead in less that 12 hours."

"He probably still will be dead in less than 12 hours." Jemma states.

Skye smiles weakly and curls up against Jemma's side.

* * *

Together, Skye and Jemma find time can heal most anything, and they both find who they're supposed to be.

They didn't know who they were supposed to be at fifteen.

* * *

Jemma pauses when she reaches the door of Standford University and takes a deep breath as she walks inside.

It's the start of a new school year and her very first day at college.

At least Skye will be at her side every step of the way, just like high school.

* * *

**Yay for Skimmons! Let me know if you have a request!**

**Up next: _Come Back... Be Here - Skyeward_**


	7. Come Back Be Here - Skyeward

**Okie dokie, this chapter is for andy-ho13.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****_Agents of SHIELD_**** or any Marvel characters. I also do not own ****_Come Back... Be Here_**** by Taylor Swift.**

* * *

**Come Back… Be Here – Skyeward**

_This is falling in love in the cruellest way  
This is falling for you when you are worlds away_

_New York… Be here  
But you're in London and I break down  
'Cause it's not fair that you're not around_

_This is when the feeling sinks in  
I don't wanna miss you like this  
Come back… be here  
Come back… be here_

* * *

Two days. Two days he'd been back on the bus, back with the team, back with Skye. Just two days.

Skye had convinced Grant and FitzSimmons to pull an all-nighter with her and watch scary movies. 4am rolled around, and the wonder twins were basically falling asleep on each other. Skye was tucked into Grant's side, his fingers tracing soft patterns on her upper arm.

Then he leant closer to her ear and said in such a simple way, "I need to go on a mission."

"Yeah, we all do. That's why we're leaving for China tomorrow morning." Skye said to him.

"No," Ward said. "I've been assigned an undercover solo mission. I'm being dropped off when in Alaska."

"But… we just got you back."

"I know."

"How long until you leave?"

"36 hours."

Skye nods her head slowly. "How long will you be gone?"

Ward looks away. "For as long as I need to be."

"So basically, Fury's sending you on some wild goose chase which will last for God knows how long," Skye surmises.

"That's the job, Skye."

"Okay," Skye swallows. "I have 36 hours to say goodbye. That's a long goodbye."

* * *

Just under 36 hours later, May landed the BUS in the SHIELD base in Alaska. Ward said his goodbyes to all of the team members while still on the BUS. All except Skye. She walked with him through the cargo hold, down the ramp, onto the tarmac and over to the small jet he would be taking to his mission location, which he had told her was 'classified'.

When they reach the plane, Skye tugs on his arm to stop him from walking and get him to turn around. When he turns to face her, Skye wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him, pouring all of her fear into that one action. When they pull apart, Ward presses one last kiss to her forehead and walks onto the jet with his duffel bag.

If he'd known what the team would find in China and how it would affect Skye, he'd never have left them.

* * *

That night as Skye lies in her bunk, she thinks back to the very beginning. The first time she really saw him, in the interrogation room, she told herself "don't get attached", but in her mind she plays it back. All of her memories of him spin through her mind faster than the plane that took him away from her.

That's the first time the feeling sinks in, how she doesn't want to miss him like this. When she first realised he was Hydra, all she wanted was to never have to see him again. But now she just wants him here with her. And yes, that may have something to do with the fact that he was never really a traitor; he was working undercover for Fury the whole time. He only ever said yes to Garrett because Fury told him to.

_Maybe he had to go and see Fury and is in New York now,_ Skye muses.

Wherever he is, she doesn't want to have to need him this way. Since the team found out that he was working for Fury all along, Skye has needed him like a lifeline. Sure, she didn't get to talk to him face to face, but she saw him a few times in the street, and he called her a few times when he was sure no one would hear. She scrubbed any evidence of their calls from both of their phones as soon as they hung up.

And now he's gone again, and she doesn't know what to do without him.

* * *

When they first land in China, Skye throws herself into the mission: searching for an 084. Unbeknownst to Skye, the area of China where they picked up the reading for the 084 is very close to where she was found by SHIELD and Agent Avery when she was just a baby.

"I feel like I know this place," Skye mutters as the team trek through the forest. "But that's stupid because I've never been to China except for…" She trails off, hoping to keep that part of her past hidden from FitzSimmons at least.

Coulson and May both look at her in understanding and continue walking.

Four days later and they're still searching. Skye just can't seem to put it down. She always has to be doing something to help with the search, even when her efforts merely make her get in the way. The signal keeps bouncing around, and Skye can't figure out why. They've found some alien tissue, which excited Simmons to no end, but that's not what the original 084 was.

If Skye had known then what she would soon find out, she never would have played so nonchalant. If Skye had known what she would find out before Ward left, she never would have let him leave her alone.

* * *

"Skye!" Coulson calls out, banging his fist on the door of her hotel room. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine AC!" Skye yells through the closed door for tenth time in nearly as many minutes. "I just need to be alone."

They finally found the 084. It's a necklace, identical to the one Skye has had since she was a baby. The necklace was found around the neck of a beautiful woman. A dead woman. She shared Skye's olive skin, dark hair, and slim build. Simmons conducted a few tests on the woman and confirmed what everyone in the team already knew. She was Skye's mother. Something else that Simmons also discovered, was that the woman held a similar genetic makeup to that of Lady Sif. The woman was Asgardian. Not only was she Asgardian, she was very closely related to Sif. Simmons guessed that she and Sif were sisters.

Simmons found someone else's DNA on the stab wound in Skye's mother's stomach, and tested that to see if they were human or also of an alien race. They were a Frost Giant. The DNA was a match to that of someone already in SHIELD's database. Loki.

On a hunch, Simmons ran a test to compare Skye's DNA to that of Loki and the Asgardian woman. It was a direct match.

Skye is the daughter of Sif's sister and Loki.

"Skye, you need to talk to someone. Do you want me to call Fury? He can get in contact with Ward and cancel his mission." Coulson says.

"I said I'm fine!" Skye screams at him, even though everyone knows she is anything but fine.

When she is sure that Coulson is no longer standing outside her door, Skye exits her room, walking down the corridor, taking the elevator down to the lobby, and leaving the hotel. She walks past taxi cabs, through the busy streets of central China.

Despite what she said to Coulson, she wishes with everything inside of her that Ward will just climb out of one of those taxis and pull her into his arms, telling her that everything will be okay. She wishes that he took her with him, instead of letting her come to China.

* * *

That night, Skye is curled up in bed, her laptop sitting on her legs as she watches a few illegally downloaded copies of _Orphan Black_, when her Skype opens and notifies her of an incoming video call.

She accepts the call and Ward's face appears on her screen.

"Ward!" She exclaims quietly. "I thought… I thought you weren't supposed to have any contact with anyone? Oh my god, has your mission finished?!"

"No," He sighs, running his hand over his day-old stubble. "I got a message from Fury an hour ago saying I needed to speak to you. He said it was urgent."

"Coulson," She mutters under her breath.

"What?" Ward asks, unable to hear her quiet word.

She sighs, "We found the 084 today. It was a necklace just like the one I have. You know, the locket?" Skye waits until Ward nods his confirmation before continuing. "And there was a woman wearing it. She was dead, but Simmons ran DNA tests and it turns out she was my mum. And that's not even the end of the story!" Skye says, her voice leaping up an octave as her pent up emotions get the better of her. "She was Asguardian! And, not only was she Asguardian, Simmons is pretty sure she was Lady Sif's sister!"

"Really? That's good news, surely?" Ward wonders.

"Oh, that's not all." Skye says. "Simmons found the DNA of who we assume killed her. She ran a test comparing my DNA to both of theirs, and it turns out they're both my parents."

"Do we know who it was that killed her?" Ward asks carefully.

"Oh yeah," Skye says sarcastically. "That's the best part. My father is the lunatic who put a freaking sceptre through Coulson's chest."

Ward's eyebrows rise slowly and his mouth falls open. If Skye weren't so angry at everything in her life right now, she would be laughing at his expression.

"Loki? Your dad is… Loki?"

"Surprise!" Skye exclaims in mock excitement, before her face falls. In front of Grant, she lets her mask slip. She allows him to see what she's kept hidden from the rest of the team for nearly 18 hours.

"Oh Skye," He whispers, watching her fall apart and being able to do nothing about it from his place on the other side of the world.

"My Dad is a murderer, Ward," She whispers, her voice surprisingly calm despite the tears running quickly down her cheeks. "He killed my mother, he killed Coulson, he tried to take over the whole freaking world! What am I supposed to make of that? What does that make me?"

"I honestly don't know what you're supposed to make of who your father is, but I do know that who he is sure as hell doesn't change who you are. You're still the annoying, fun, bubbly, caring, beautiful hacker who stole my heart the moment she mentioned my grandmother. _Nothing_ can change that. Nothing can change _you_."

Skye's lip trembles and, despite her best efforts, a soft sob escapes her throat. "This is falling in love in the cruellest way."

"What?" Ward gives her a confused look.

"I… I'm falling for you, but you're worlds away."

"I'm not worlds away, Skye. I am always at your side, even when you don't think I am. And I'll always be there for you. I'd fly to Asgard and back for you. You might be from somewhere worlds away, but right now we're on the same planet. That's all that matters."

Skye sniffles slightly and nods her head, "Yeah you're right."

"And, Asgarian, Frost Giant hybrid or not, I still love you."

Offering him a weak smile, Skye says, "I know. Oh, and Ward?"

"Hmmm?"

"This alien hybrid girl loves her Robot, too."

* * *

When the team returns to SHIELD Central in New York three days later, Skye sees Barton and Romanoff training together. She just wants to be with Ward, even if it is for training. But, he's in London. She manages to watch the assassins dance around each other for a whole two minutes before she breaks down.

"Skye?" Clint looks away from his partner when he hears Skye's almost silent sob.

Instantly, the pair are in front of her. Natasha pulls Skye into her arms and hugs her tightly, knowing just how much it sucks to be separated from someone who means so much to you at a time when you need them most.

"Shhhh, it's okay," Natasha says, one hand cradling the back of Skye's head as the younger girl cries into her shoulder.

"It's not fair that he's not around," Skye manages to say.

"I know," Natasha responds in a voice just as quiet as Skye's. "I know."

"Don't worry, sweetheart, he'll be back." Clint reassures her. "Men like him and I… let's just say we can't stay away from our beautiful partners for too long. You're just like Tash and I. I took her under my wing and showed her the ways of SHIELD. He did the same with you. I had to go on a few solo missions pretty soon after Natasha and I… you know –"

"Started having sex?" Skye questioned, turning her head slightly so she can look at him over her shoulder.

"I was going to say 'became more than just work partners', but yeah what you said works too."

"Barton!" Natasha exclaims in her growly voice.

Clint shrugs his shoulders at the red-head and turns back to Skye. "Point is, Natasha needed me to be there with her once when Red Room tracked her down, but I wasn't there. But I came back in the end. I always come back for her. Ward will be the same with you."

* * *

Skye is sitting in the gym of the Central, watching Clint and Natasha spar.

Despite what Clint told her nearly seven months ago, Ward still hasn't returned. And she still wants him to come back, to be here with her. Seven months, and she still misses him, still doesn't want to miss him like this. Doesn't want to have to miss him at all.

"Skye?" A familiar, rough voice says from behind her.

Clint and Natasha stop their practice fighting, Natasha freezing mid-action as she lunges to sweep Clint's legs out from under him. It's quite a funny sight, actually, but Skye is too busy leaping up from where she is sitting on the side of the mat to pay much notice to her friends.

"Ward," She whispers as she runs over to him and leaps into his arms. Her arms wrap themselves tightly around his neck and her legs snake around his waist with a grip that would make Natasha proud and give her thigh-hold a run for its money.

"Skye," He gasps, "Broken rib…"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Skye exclaims, quickly jumping down and taking a step back to take a closer look at him. His stubble is at least three days old, his dark hair is longer than it was when she Skyped with him after she found out about her parents, there's a gash running down his right cheek, right over the top of the old scar, and he is tenderly holding his arms in front of his ribcage, protecting his ribs from any more of Skye's relieved bear hugs. "I just… You've been gone for seven months, Ward. I didn't know if…" She trails off and looks at the ground.

"I'm back, Skye… I'm here. I'll always come back for you."

"Told you so," Clint says in a self-satisfied voice. Natasha swings her elbow back into his stomach and he grunts in pain, "The hell, Tash?!"

"Let them have their moment. You know what it was like for us." She hisses at him.

"We can hear you," Ward informs the two, standing a few metres away.

"Yeah, for super assassin spies, you're not very quiet." Skye adds.

"Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black, princess?" Clint quirks an eyebrow at Skye.

"I could be quieter than you if I wanted to be." Skye challenges.

"Fifty bucks, you're on." Clint returns the challenge.

"Oh god…" Natasha mumbles.

"When are we being quiet and what are we doing?" Clint asks Skye.

Skye just smirks, staring at Clint before her eyes flick to Natasha and then slide to Ward.

"Maybe I should go back to London," Ward slowly retreats.

"You aren't going anywhere, mister!" Skye snaps at him. "I just got you back. You're _not_ leaving my sight for at least two months."

"Skye-"

"I know, I know, 'it's the job'," She imitates him. "But the whole time you were gone I just wanted you to come back and be here with me."

"Okay," Ward says. "You have me all to yourself for the next two months."

"That's a lot of time to have sex," Clint jokes.

"What?" Ward exclaims.

"Long story," Skye sighs.

"We have two months."

Skye grins at him and takes his hand, leading him away.

* * *

**Hope you liked that chapter! Yay for Skyeward and Clintasha!**

**I'm still taking requests (especially FitzSimmons ones!)**

**Up next: ****_Love Story - Skyeward_**


	8. Love Story - Skyeward

**What'd everyone think of the finale?! I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest.  
**

**This chapter is for MusicAngel98 who asked for _Love Story_ for Skyeward.**

**This story is happy Skyeward fluff, and is set way back within the first few episodes before everything went to hell.**

**_Disclaimer:_ I do not own _Agents of SHIELD_, or _Love Story_.**

* * *

**_Love Story - Skyeward_**

_Romeo, save me, they try to tell me how to feel._  
_ This love is difficult but it's real._  
_ Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess._  
_ It's a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes.'"_

* * *

The first time Skye saw him was only for a second. She barely managed to glimpse his brown eyes before he was throwing a bag over her head.

The second time she saw him was when he took said bag off her head. She looked around the dark room and figured it was probably some kind of interrogation room. Then she saw him. Saw his dark hair, chocolate brown eyes, high cheekbones and muscular body. But he was still a faceless government toolbag.

Then he became her SO. Yay for her! Not. Then something changed the way she looked at him. They played their first game of Battleship. And it was fun and he smiled and they talked and joked and it was almost as if they were friends.

That is the night she sits in her bunk, puts her headphones in her ears and plays one song on repeat. It's a cliche song, and it is way overused, but it's beautiful and allows her to just imagine. She closes her eyes and it's almost as if flashbacks start.

* * *

Skye's standing out on a balcony in summer air. She turns around and sees the lights, the party, the ball gowns.

She sees a familiar frame with dark hair and brown eyes make his way through the crowd.

"Hello," He says to her.

"Hello," she responds, smiling as he takes her hand and presses his lips to it.

"May I have this dance?"

"You may," Skye allows and he leads her to the middle of the dance floor.

They spend the rest of the night spinning together around the room.

Until her father stormed over to them. "You! Stay away from Juliet!"

"With all respect sir, I am not my father and your daughter is not you. Our family quarrels should not interfere with our ability to enjoy this night." Ward says to Skye's father, who looks suspiciously like Coulson.

Skye, not actually aware of who Ward is, asks, "Who are you?"

"My name is Romeo."

"You are a Montague." She realises.

"I am," he confirms.

"Out! Leave our house!" Coulson commands Ward.

"But Father," Skye begins trying to rationalise with him, "He has done nothing wrong. As he said, your past disputes with his father should not affect us."

"I have told him to leave. If he does not leave of his own will, I will have him escorted back to his own house." Coulson says. "You are not to see him again."

Ward nods his head and walks toward the doorway, but Skye follows him.

He makes it to the stone staircase before Skye reaches out and wraps her fingers around his wrist.

"Please don't go," she begs him.

If not for the tears he can hear in her voice, he would just leave without a backward glance. But he can hear her tears, so he turns to face her, pulling the young girl into his arms.

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone. All there's left to do is run."

"This will not be the last time I see you, Juliet." He promises her, and extracts himself from her embrace.

When he reaches the bottom of the staircase, he turns and smiles his charming smile at her and leaves.

* * *

Skye wakes up and rubs her eyes blearily. "The hell was that?" she mutters.

The music is still playing in her ears, and she realises that's probably the reason she had the dream. She turns her iPod off and closes her eyes, attempting to go back to sleep.

* * *

Exactly one week later, Skye pulls a cloak around herself, lights a lantern and sneaks out to the garden to see him. He'd organised with her handmaiden, Jemma, earlier that day for Skye to go to the furthest edge of their property at 10.30pm.

"Romeo!" Skye exclaims when she sees Ward.

"We have to keep quiet," He says to her. "We're dead if they knew."

Skye nods her head and Ward leads her past the boundary of her father's property and into the woods.

"Where are we going?" Skye wonders.

Ward smiles at her, "You'll see."

A few minutes later he tells her to close her eyes. "Let's escape the town for a little while," he whispers in her ear as he carefully leads her between the trees.

"I don't understand what you mean," Skye says quietly.

She can hear the smile in his voice when he answers, "We crossed the border a few steps back. We're in the next town, now."

"Really?" Skye laughs.

"Really," He confirms and gets her to stop walking. He lifts her right hand and places it on something warm, "You can open your eyes now."

Skye's eyes immediately snap open and she finds herself face to face with a beautiful horse, the colour of whitest snow.

"Oh she's beautiful!" Skye exclaims, running her fingers through the horse's forelock. "What's her name?"

"Arabella," Ward answers, smiling.

"What did I tell you?!" Coulson's angry voice breaks through the calm silence from the couple.

Skye's hand drops away from Arabella and she whirls to face her father, standing in front of Ward protectively. "You followed me?"

"Yes, and it turns out I had every reason to." He states. "I thought I told you to stay away from my daughter."

"You did, sir. However, no matter what you do, you cannot repress our feelings for each other forever."

"Please father," Skye begs. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. He's everything to me."

"You don't even know him!"

"I know him better than you do!" She responds.

"I don't care! He's bad news and you are not to see him again!" Coulson yells at her. He turns his gaze to Ward, "Leave!"

"No, please don't go!" Skye begs him.

"I'm sorry Juliet," Ward apologises to Skye. "I cannot disobey your father."

However, before he climbs into Arabella's saddle, he does press his lips to hers.

"Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult, but it's real." Skye says as he pulls away.

"Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess." Ward promises her as he climbs into the horse and rides away.

* * *

Skye opens her eyes and sits up in bed. "This is getting ridiculous," she grumbles as she climbs out if bed and quietly exits her bunk.

She goes to the kitchenette and gets herself a glass of milk, sitting at the bar as she drinks it slowly.

When she has finished the milk, she washes the glass and puts it away before walking back to her bunk.

* * *

Skye is out in the fields with Jemma one hot afternoon picking fresh flowers for her bedchamber.

"Have you seen Romeo recently?" Jemma asks her friend.

Skye sighs and shakes her head, "I have not. The past the I saw him was when you organised for him and I to meet that night."

Four months. Skye hasn't seen even a glimpse of Ward for four months.

"I'm getting tired of waiting, Jemma, wondering if he's ever coming around."

"Your faith in him isn't fading, is it?" Jemma questions.

Skye looks away from her maid, refusing to confirm the older girl's question but also not able to deny it.

"Oh Juliet..." Jemma sighs, saddened for the girl who has been her closest friend for ten years.

Skye smiles sadly at her friend and returns her focus to finding the most beautiful flowers for her chamber.

"Juliet!" Jemma exclaims suddenly, grabbing Skye's attention.

Skye looks up and follows Jemma's gaze. Both girls watch as a figure familiar to both of them makes his way down the small hill and across the field towards them.

"Juliet!" He calls to her, his deep voice warming her heart and putting a smile on her face.

She breaks into a run, lifting the skirt of her dress up off the ground.

She throws her arms around his neck and his wrap around her waist, lifting her off the ground as she whispers to him, "Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone. I keep waiting for you but you never come. Is this in my head? I don't know what to think-"

Skye's rant is cut off when Ward releases her and kneels to the ground.

He pulls out a ring and says, "Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress, it's a love story, baby just say yes."

Skye's mouth falls open, and she says one single word. "Yes."

* * *

The next morning Skye bounds down the stairs and into the cargo hold for her ridiculously early morning training with Ward.

"Morning Romeo," she says to him with a cheeky grin that gives him the impression she's not telling him something.

"Morning," he responds, watching her with suspicion in his eyes. "Why are you so happy?"

"No reason." Skye responds and pulls out her iPod. "Can we listen to some music this morning while we train?"

"As long as it's nothing inappropriate." he allows her.

"Yay!" Skye exclaims, running over and plugging her iPod into the dock.

She presses play and Love Story begins to echo around the cargo hold.

"Really, Skye?" Ward raises an eyebrow at her.

"What? It's a good song!" Skye defends.

Ward won't mention the fact that he can oh so clearly imagine Skye in a gorgeous period ball gown standing on a balcony in summer air.

* * *

**I hope that didn't confuse you too much. I wasn't sure whether to make the dreams in italics or not, so in the end I just settled on not. **

**Next chapter is going to be FitzSimmons. I'm not sure whether it will be _Mary's Song_ or _Everything Has Changed_. What would you guys prefer?**


	9. Innocent - Skyeward

**Okay okay okay... So I know I promised a FitzSimmons chapter next, and I am in the process of writing it, but I was on the bus this morning and _Innocent_ came on and I was like "HOLY SHIT THIS IS PERFECT!" And I sort of died for a little while, but then I came back to life so that I could write this chapter and yeah, that's it. Yeah, I wrote this in like 30 minutes on the bus, so I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense.  
**

**This chapter wasn't prompted by anyone, but it is for MusicAngel98. You'll know why when you read it, W.**

**_Disclaimer:_ Sadly I don't own _AoS_ or the song _Innocent_. If I owned _AoS_ I would actually make something like this happen in the first few episodes of next season, and if I owned _Innocent_... well that would make me Taylor Swift, which sadly I am not.**

* * *

**Innocent – SkyeWard**

_Did some things you can't speak of  
But at night you live it all again  
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now  
If only you had seen what you know now then_

* * *

Skye walks into the room and looks through the window at Ward, lying on the hard bed in his cell.

It's been three weeks since they captured Ward, freed Mike, and killed Garrett. Fitz finally woke up the other day, but he's not the same. His memory is in pieces. He can remember the team; their faces and names, but he can't really remember who they are, what they've done, who they were to him, and he can't remember anything after their mission at the Academy months ago. It's devastated the whole team, but Simmons is completely shattered. She hasn't told anyone about what Fitz said to her while they were in the pod except for Skye. So, naturally, Skye is the only one who Simmons allows herself to break down in front of. It hasn't been an easy few days for any of them.

When Coulson explained to Fitz how Ward had ejected him and Simmons out of the BUS and into the ocean, the engineer said, "Ward isn't evil, he just got left in Garrett's warpath."

Which is why Skye is now standing in the observation room of Ward's cell, watching him. She wants to see if Fitz is right or if it's just the brain damage talking. Maybe Fitz is right. Maybe Ward did lose his balance on a tightrope, lost his mind trying to get it back.

As Skye watches Ward flick through a small book of some sort, she catches a glimpse of a photo. A young boy with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes and a missing front tooth is smiling at the camera, holding a lunchbox in one hand and a small girl, no older than two, has her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as he gives her a piggyback. Skye recognises the photo and pulls an identical picture out of her jacket pocket. She went to Ward's Gramsy's house last week to speak to the elderly woman about Grant, and after talking for over an hour, left the house with various different photos of a young Grant with his little brother and sister, Toby and Victoria.

If she remembers correctly, Ward was seven in that photo and Victoria had just turned two.

Back then, he would have had a bigger bed to crawl into. Well, the bed wasn't actually bigger, it was just that he was smaller. Listening to Ward's Gramsy had made her realise that he was actually quite an incredible child. He believed in everything, and everybody believed in him. Skye now knows beautiful stories of how Grant would play make-believe for hours with Toby and Victoria, and he would always be the superhero saving the world.

Ward flips to a new page in the photo album and Skye catches a glimpse of olive skin, curly brown hair and brown eyes. She sucks in a sharp breath as she realises it's a photo of her that he's looking at now.

Ward runs a finger over the outline of her face, before he suddenly tosses the album across the room.

"Dammit!" He growls and stands from his small bed, pacing the room. "Stupid. So stupid," He mutters, not aware that Skye, the source of his frustration and burning self-hatred, is standing behind the one-way window.

"Oh Ward," She whispers, watching him get increasingly agitated. "It's not your fault, not really."

* * *

Skye stays in the observation room for hours. She doesn't even realise how long she's been in there, how late it really is, until she notices that Ward is asleep. He seems peaceful enough for a while, but then he starts moving; tossing and turning on the small bed.

She's knows how he's done some things he can't speak of, he's told her of how his older brother made him hurt Toby, and Coulson showed her his Juvie records from when he set his childhood home on fire with his older brother inside. Clearly at night he lives it all again.

She watches in horror as Ward's nightmare clearly gets worse until he is practically thrashing, sweat forming on his brow and his face contorted in pain. Eventually, she can't stand it anymore and throws Coulson's caution to not enter Ward's cell to the wind. She opens the door connecting the observation room and cell and runs to Ward's side. She kneels on the ground near him and places one hand on his chest as she whispers soothing words to him. She rests her other hand on the side of his face, her thumb gently tracing the scar on his right cheek.

"Ward, come on. Wake up," She gently coaxes him, her thumb never stopping its gentle movement on his face. "Wake up, Grant. Come back to me."

Ward's eyes fly open and he bolts upright, roughly shoving Skye away from him in the process. He pushes himself up, eyes flashing, fists raised defensively. Then he sees Skye on the ground, her hand tenderly holding the back of her head where it hit the floor.

"Oh god," He whispers, lowering his hands and crouching down near her, but never trying to touch her.

"Ward," She whispers, her eyes surprisingly clear despite the fact that she should be terrified of him and what he can do.

"I'm sorry, Skye. I'm so sorry."

"For what? For pushing me over? For lying to me? For breaking my heart? What exactly are you sorry for, Grant?" She asks, but there is no malice in her voice, she's just truly curious.

"Everything," He whispers and she watches as his heart shatters in his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything. I never meant to hurt you or any of the team. My job was to not get attached, but I did and that put all of you in so much more danger. So I'm sorry for everything, but mostly for letting myself become attached to you."

"You're sorry for having feelings for me?" She asks incredulously. "Ward, of all the things you have to be sorry for, that would be least."

"I just wish I'd seen then what I know now."

"Bet you wouldn't be shattered on the floor now if that had happened."

"I'm not shattered-" He begins, but Skye cuts him off.

"Ward, I saw you. I've been watching you for hours. I saw you looking through the photo album, I saw you throw the chair, I saw you fall asleep, I saw you having a nightmare. You have no idea how much of you I've seen in the last few hours, but do you know what's most obvious to me?"

"What?"

"You are completely, in every way humanly possible, shattered. But that's not a bad thing. Mosaics are made of broken glass and tiles, but they're still beautiful. I think it's the same with people. Sometimes the most broken, the most shattered, are the most beautiful."

"You don't know what I've done, Skye. If you knew… you wouldn't think it was beautiful, you'd think it was hideous."

"I know you used to run around your Gramsy's yard at night catching fireflies. I know that you always wanted things that were out of reach, so your Gramsy brought them down for you. I know you used to run wild in the garden until you fell asleep. I know you used to dream about the monsters catching up to you and Toby and Victoria."

"How do you know that, Skye? You shouldn't know that." He says, turning away from her.

"I went and visited her. Your Gramsy. She was lovely. You know she was going to defend you in court. She was going to say how she'd been suspicious that David had been hurting you and Toby for years, but neither of you would tell anyone. She showed me pictures of you when you were little. You were such a cute kid! She let me take some photos when I left. This one's my favourite," She pulls out the photo of little Grant giving Victoria a piggyback and shows it to him.

Ward reaches out and almost reverently touches the photograph.

"It was September, wasn't it? When you tried to kill David."

Ward pulls his hand back toward himself and nods once.

"Okay, so pun totally not intended, but time turns flames to embers. I know it's hard to forgive yourself, and trust me, you'll never forget what you did, what you've been through, but you'll have new Septembers. Everyone on the team, every one of us has messed up too."

"Minds change like the weather, Skye," He whispers. "One minute you wanted to be with me, the next you wanted me to rot in hell."

Skye nods her head in agreement, "Yeah, I did. But… I didn't know what had happened. I didn't give you a chance to explain what you'd been through. And maybe you're not an angel, maybe you've killed people, but I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new."

"Skye… why are you doing this?" Ward asks, staring at her as she stands to leave his cell. "I don't deserve you to… give me another opportunity."

"Everyone deserves another opportunity, Grant. It's alright, just wait and see. Your string of lights are still bright to me."

"How can you say that?" He demands.

She smiles softly at him, "Because I remember everything we've been through together. I remember all of the times you saved me, all of the times we trained, all of the times we watched movies or played board games, and I think to myself that there's no way all of that could have been pretend. Trust me, who you are is not where you've been. It's okay, life is a tough crowd, 32 and still growing up now. Who you are is not what you did. You're still an innocent."

"Skye," He whispers as he allows himself to really feel something for the first time in nearly two decades. She looks at him, her head tilted in question. "I love you."

"I know," Skye says and opens the door of his cell. Before she leaves she looks at him one last time, "Lost your balance on a tightrope. It's never too late to get it back."

* * *

**Tada! I hope you liked it. I actually love this chapter so much!**

**Oh, little Grant Ward looks like Mason Cook, Victoria Ward looks like a really really really young Isabelle Fuhrman, and Toby Ward looks like Max Charles.**

**Any requests for future chapters? Oh, and I promise the next chapter will be FitzSimmons!**


	10. Mary's Song - FitzSimmons

**Okay, I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I've been studying for my exams like crazy, and they start next week so I apologise if I don't update again for another few weeks.**

**Anyway, this chapter is for LisaMichell25 who asked for FitzSimmons Mary's Song. I now have a few different ideas for FitzSimmons songs so thank you all for that!**

**_Disclaimer:_ I am not Joss Whedon or Taylor Swift so... I own nothing.**

* * *

**_Mary's Song – FitzSimmons (AU)_**

_She said, I was seven and you were nine  
I looked at you like the stars that shined  
In the sky, the pretty lights  
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us  
Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled  
And rolled their eyes and said oh my my my_

* * *

Jemma and Leo had been friends for as long as they could remember. Their parents were friends in high school, and they grew up living next door to each other. Jemma's first detailed memory of Leo and one of their adventures was when she was seven and he was nine.

They'd been playing outside, looking at butterflies and worms and any species of bug they could find. Leo came running over to her with a praying mantis cupped in his hands, yelling at her, "Jemma! Jemma come look!"

Jemma stood up from where she was attempting to dissect a worm and looked at the green bug in Leo's hands.

"Here, you wanna hold him?" Leo asked Jemma.

She nodded her head excitedly and he carefully placed the bug in her hands.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Leo asked. "I bet if we looked real close we could see his spiracles."

"Really?" Jemma gasped, lifting the mantis closer to her face.

"I think so," Leo said, also crowding closer in an attempt to see the bug's respiratory system. "Oh, look, there's one!" He exclaimed suddenly when he saw a tiny hole.

Jemma moved her hands so she could see where Leo was pointing and gasped in awe when she, too, saw the spiracle. She looked up to Leo in that moment, her brown eyes glittering and something about the way she was looking at him… it was almost like, in her eyes, he was more amazing than the stars that shined in the sky.

Mr Simmons and Mr Fitz were sitting on the veranda of the Simmons' house, watching the two children.

"I bet they'll end up getting married, one day," Mr Fitz stated.

Mr Simmons chuckled, but nodded in agreement when Jemma took Leo's hand and led him down to the creek.

"I'll be putting the hard words on that boy in another ten years," Mr Simmons announced.

Both of their wives, standing in the doorway, rolled their eyes at their respective husbands and children.

"Oh my, my, my," Mrs Fitz sighed.

* * *

A few weeks later, Jemma and Leo were playing in Leo's tree house in the backyard of the Fitz property.

Jemma was playing with one of the models Leo had made recently, this one a submarine, when she accidently dropped it.

Jemma's face paled as she looked in horror at the broken toy at her feet, well aware of how many hours her best friend had spent putting it all together.

"I'll punch you, Jemma!" Leo shouted, looming over her for a minute before he knelt to the ground at her feet, collecting all of the pieces of his model and clutching them to his chest.

He never did beat her up that day, or any of the times during their childhood where he threatened to punch her. He could never and would never hurt his Jemma.

* * *

On Leo's tenth birthday, he had his whole family (and the Simmons') over for lunch. When his mother brought out the monkey cake with ten candles on it, everyone sang Happy Birthday, but Jemma's voice was by far the loudest.

As Leo blew out the candles, he closed his eyes and wished to have Jemma stay as his best friend forever.

He opened his eyes and his mother handed him a knife to cut the first piece.

"Don't touch the bottom, son," His father warned him, "Or you'll have to kiss the closest girl."

Unfortunately, Jemma was down at the other end of the table than Leo.

He carefully pushed the knife into the cake, trying oh so hard to not touch the bottom, but his hand slipped and everyone heard the knife hit the plate below the cake.

The girl closest to Leo was his nasty nine year old cousin, Rebecca.

"No," Leo shook his head, refusing to kiss the nasty, stuck up girl.

"Kiss me, Leo!" Jemma yelled from where she stood in front of her parents.

"Are you sure?" Leo asked. Jemma nod her head in confirmation. "Can I do that, Daddy?" Leo looked to his father.

"Well, she's not the closest girl, but I don't see why not," His father shrugged. "Go ahead."

Leo moved away from the cake and walked towards Jemma. When he was just in front of her, she squealed and pushed her way past her parents, running away as fast as her small legs would take her.

Jemma didn't really think her escape route through overly well, and soon enough she found herself at the wooden fence separating Leo's yard from her own. She turned around to face the boy, grinning sheepishly.

"I didn't really want you to kiss me, Leo."

"But I'm not kissing Rebecca!" He exclaimed. "Ewwwww!"

Jemma's nose twitched slightly as she thought for a moment before saying, "Okay, you can kiss me.

Leo quickly closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers for the briefest moment. Neither of the children were aware of the fact that Mrs Simmons snapped a picture of the moment with her camera.

* * *

Over the years, Jemma and Leo had only grown closer, their bond increasing tenfold.

It was Jemma's best girl friend, Skye's sixteenth birthday the night that Leo realised Jemma wasn't a little girl anymore.

She was wearing a deep blue cocktail dress and silver strappy heels and spent hours dancing with Skye and their other close friends, Darcy, Maria, Natasha, Betty, and Pepper. The girls' boyfriends, and Leo, stood on the edge of the dance floor watching their girls laugh and enjoy themselves.

Out of nowhere, one of Grant's friends, Antoine, appeared and began dancing with Jemma, his hands resting on her hips.

Grant, Steve, Clint, Thor, Bruce and Tony all turned to watch how Leo would react to the other man dancing with Jemma. All five of them smirked knowingly when they saw Leo's jaw clench and his hands curl into fists.

"Go get her, Fitzy," Clint egged him on.

"Show her how much you care for her," Steve added.

"And give her a night to really remember, if you know what I mean." Tony grinned.

"Tony," Bruce warned.

"What? Oh _sorry_ for being friends with a bunch of old women. I swear the only ones who know how to have fun are Clint and I, and Grant if he's in the mood." Tony said in exasperation.

Leo ignored his friends and walked straight over to Jemma and Antoine.

"Hey, Jemm," Leo said as he placed his hand on Jemma's shoulder.

The girl turned her head to look at him curiously, "Yes Leo?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course," She said immediately before looking briefly at Antoine, "If you'll just excuse us for a minute." She turned back to Leo as he walked off the dance floor. Jemma quickly tried to catch up with him.

"Leo, what's wrong?"

He didn't respond.

"Leo, what is the matter?"

Again, he didn't answer.

Jemma was getting annoyed by this stage, and her voice rose slightly in anger, "Leopold Fitz, tell me what is the matter with you right this instant or-"

Leo turned around quickly and pressed his lips to hers, effectively shutting her up. He pulled back and looked down, blushing. "I just didn't like you dancing with him."

"Oh Leo," She whispered, running her fingers over his cheek lightly.

As she touched his face, she noticed how his blue eyes shined like pretty lights.

That night when Leo walked Jemma home, they stopped on the footpath at the place where their fences joined hoping that neither set of parents would be able to see them there.

Leo pressed his lips to Jemma's again and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she kissed him back.

Little did the pair know that Leo's parents and Jemma's parents were watching their interaction intently from the second story of their respective houses.

"I never believed they'd really fall in love," Mr Simmons muttered quietly, but Mr Fitz could still hear him through the phone.

"You better start practicing that speech to warn him about what you'll do if he hurts her," Mr Fitz replied jokingly, but he too was in mild shock about the development of their children's relationship.

Mrs Fitz stood slightly behind Mr Fitz as they looked out the window and rolled her eyes.

Mrs Simmons was standing beside Mr Simmons looking out the attic window and said, "Oh my, my, my."

* * *

Leo and Jemma often went on late night adventures after that. He'd drive them to the edge of their town, or the park, or the creek-bed, or wherever they could see the stars shining down.

They got to the creek-bed at two AM one Saturday morning and climbed out of his truck, making their way to the bank and lying down beside each other, not touching except for their joined hands.

That was the night they had their very first fight. It was stupid really, what they were fighting over, but they both were incredibly stubborn and soon a silly little argument turned into a full-blown shouting match.

Jemma demanded he take her home immediately, and they refused to talk to each other for the whole car ride back to their houses. She got out of the car when he pulled up in her driveway and slammed the car door with far more force than necessary.

Leo scowled at her back as he watched her walk to her front door which she also slammed behind herself. He then reversed his car out of her drive and parked it in the garage of his house.

He got out of the car and locked it, closing the garage before he began walking to the front door. He had reached the door and had his key in the lock before he realised how ridiculously stupid they'd both been.

He pulled his mobile phone out and called Jemma, but it went straight to message bank, so he pocketed his phone and keys and then walked to the small gate in the fence separating his and Jemma's backyard.

Leo sat in a tree near the back of Jemma's house and his eyes settled on her bedroom window, following her silhouette against the closed curtain until she turned off the bedside lamp. He stayed outside until morning light.

When Jemma pulled back her curtains at about 10am the next morning, she saw him asleep against the old tree they used to climb when they were still kids.

"Oh my, my, my, my…" She whispered slowly and smiled softly to herself.

* * *

A few years had gone and come around. Jemma was 24 and Leo was 26, and they both were scientists for a secret, non-government agency, the name of which is classified.

Luckily the agency had a base of operations just outside of Jemma and Leo's town, so they hadn't had to move away for work. It was weird, most of their friends also worked for the agency. It was like their town bred secret agents or something. That was Leo's theory, anyway.

They were sitting at their favourite spot in town, just outside the park, when Leo looked at Jemma and got down on one knee.

"Jemms," He began as he looked up at her and took both of her hands in his. "You have been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Everything we have ever been through, the good and the bad… It just shows that we can make it through anything as long as we're together. I can't imagine my life without you, and I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to marry me? Or not, but that'd make things kind of weird if you said no…" He was rambling nervously.

"Oh Leo," Jemma chuckled at him, "Of course I'll marry you, silly."

"Really?!" He asked hopefully.

"Really," Jemma smiled in confirmation and Leo pulled a simple white gold ring with one diamond nestled on top out of his pocket.

* * *

"I like to think about the law of thermodynamics," Jemma began speaking her vows.

"No energy in the universe is created, none is destroyed," Leo whispered, smiling.

"No energy in the universe is created, none is destroyed," Jemma confirmed more loudly, smiling at him. "That means that every little bit of energy inside of us, every particle will go on to be a part of something else, maybe live as a dragonfish, a microbe, maybe burn in a supernova. And every part of us now was once a part of some other thing: a moon, a storm cloud, a mammoth…" She smiled softly at Leo and added, "A monkey."

Leo smiled and allowed a few tears to roll down his cheeks.

"Thousands and thousands of beautiful things that were once terrified to die. We gave them new life, a good one, I hope. It's fitting that we're doing this together. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and maybe when we eventually die the particles inside us both now will be within something else together."

Leo smiled, the tears sparkling in his eyes. He recited his vows to Jemma and the gathering of people who had attended their wedding: "I couldn't live if you didn't, Jemma. You always said how I was your best friend in the world, but for as long as I can remember you've been more than that to me. I couldn't find the courage to tell you for so long. Even after we began dating, I didn't tell you I loved you for 17 months. So I'm glad you let me show you, you let me show you how much I love you when you said you'd marry me. I hope I can show you every day from now until we're a hundred years old. I promise to love you and I will always keep you safe no matter the consequences. You will always be my best friend and so much more."

The priest smiled at them both broadly, "Do you, Jemma Simmons, take Leopold Fitz to be your husband forever more?"

"I do," Jemma smiled as she looked up at Leo and slipped the simple wedding band onto his finger that Grant passed to her.

"Do you, Leopold Fitz, take Jemma Simmons to be your wife from this day forth?"

"I do!" Leo said enthusiastically, causing everyone to laugh and Skye to nearly drop the ring she was holding for him as she doubled over in laughter.

When Leo had put the ring on Jemma's finger, the priest smiled and said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Leo needed no further encouragement and wrapped his arms around Jemma's waist as he kissed her.

When they walked down the aisle together, both saw their mothers crying and the smiling faces of basically the whole town.

* * *

At the reception, Skye stood up to do her Maid of Honour speech.

"Now, I'm sure most of you are expecting me to babble on for hours, and I probably would have except Grant and Natasha already warned me to keep my speech as short as possible. So, I will heed their request and keep it short and sweet, just like Jemma!"

Everyone laughed while Jemma glared up at her best friend.

"So, according to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate beings, condemning them to spend their lives looking for their other halves. Now, I think you'll agree with my theory that Jemma and Leo are each other's other halves. Put together, they are unstoppable. They can, have and will achieve anything they put their minds to, so long as they're together. So, if you'll all raise your glasses with me; to Jemma and Leo."

* * *

Fifteen months later Jemma gave birth to hers and Leo's first children, a pair of twins which they named Alison Lucy and Christopher James.

Three days after they were born, Jemma and Leo took little Alison and Christoper home to the house where they met so many years before. As they stood on the front porch of Leo's parent's house, they both thought about the stories they had been told of the time they first met when Jemma was barely two and Leo was four.

Suddenly, Leo looks up from Alison's face and met Jemma's eyes, "After all this time, you and I."

Jemma smiled back at him, "I'll be 87, you'll be 89, I'll still look at you like the stars that shine in the sky."

Neither of them heard their two mothers standing just inside the house as the older women both whispered, "Oh my, my, my…"

* * *

**I hope you liked it!**


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